China will further step up the elimination of aged agricultural machines that consume high levels of energy, generate heavy pollution and have poor safety record to promote green development and agricultural mechanization, according to a government document.

Cai Qiuliang (right), a grain farmer in Luoshe town of Deqing county, Huzhou city, Zhejiang province, prepares to operate a farm drone under the guidance of a local agricultural technician on Feb 14, 2020. [Photo by Wang Zheng/For China Daily]

In response to the issue of overdue service of agricultural equipment, the government will offer subsidies to farmers to scrap and replace aged machines, and guide local governments to equip more modern farming tools, said a guideline jointly released by the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Monday.

Eager to raise output and production efficiency, China will accelerate the spread and application of advanced, environmentally-friendly, safe and reliable agricultural machines in its farming areas in the next stage, the document said.

Under the new policy, aged and highly-polluting agricultural equipment, including tractors, combine harvesters, paddy transplanters, feed and grass shredders, and motorized sprayers and threshers across the country are eligible to be replaced with the help of government subsidies .

Based on actual conditions, the specific subsidy types and amount will be jointly selected and determined by provincial-level agriculture and commerce branches, according to the guideline.