(CN) Milk to turn pupils into creme de la creme

November 16, 2000

A project aimed at encouraging school pupils to drink more milk to improve their

health was officially launched yesterday.

The Milk for Students project is being run by the ministries of agriculture,

education and health, as well as by other ministries, bureaux and committees.

Under the scheme, schools will sign agreements with producers to ensure a daily

supply of dairy products such as milk and yogurt.

Pupils who take part in the project voluntarily will be able to buy such

products at prices lower than in the shops.

Chinese people, whose staple food is rice and wheat, consume few dairy products.

In 1997, people in developed countries, such as Britain and France, each

consumed 258 to 431 kilograms of dairy products. In some Asian countries, such

as Japan and India, the figure is 36 to 90 kilograms, while in China the figure

drops to as low as 5 kilograms per capita.

Only 20 per cent of primary and middle school students in urban areas in China

and 2 per cent in rural areas include milk in their daily diet.

According to statistics, the average height and weight of Chinese youngsters is

lower than that of their Japanese counterparts.

Malnutrition is one of the reasons behind this fact and drinking more milk will

improve conditions, according to Zhang Baowen, Vice-Minister of Agriculture.

The State hopes the continued implementation of the project will build up

youngsters' health within a few years.

In 1999, the Ministry of Agriculture launched a pilot milk project in the

municipalities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Shenyang.

The project launched yesterday is an extension of this. Milk will firstly be

delivered to provincial capitals and comparatively well-off cities next year and

then to smaller cities and towns in future years.

The project is also expected to help improve China's ongoing agricultural

restructuring and increase farmers' incomes.

In addition, the State has also been urging relevant authorities to keep an eye

on any trends that could damage students' health and rights.

Scheme administrators have been told not to try to earn profits from the

project, said officials.

11/16/2000

Author: JIN BAICHENG, China Daily staff

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