Prof. Zhang and other three researchers carried out a survey on agricultural insurance and rural finance in Jiangsu Province

      From Nov. 25th to 30th, 2009, Prof. Qiao Zhang and other three researchers (Dr. Chuan Wang, Jackie Wang and Biwang Wang) had a survey in Jiangsu Province. The purpose of this survey is to investigate the development of agricultural insurance pilot experiment and new-type rural financial institutions in China, as well as the opinions and demands of the local governments, agricultural insurance companies and rural financial institutions on these issues.

      During the five- day trip, Prof. Zhang and his survey team went to Gaochun County Nanjing City, Yangzhou City, Shaobo Town Jiangdu County and Jiangyin County Wuxi City in Jiangsu Province. They discussed with the leaders of local agricultural bureau, banks and PICC local branch. In Shaobo Town of Jiangdu County, they also visited the local agricultural insurance firm and talked with the workers there deeply. In this way, the operation and management, as well as the history, achievements and current problems of local agricultural insurance and rural financial institutions were well understood. What’ more, the survey group also learned a lot about their views and recommendations on the issues from the local staff.

      The survey gave the members of the team a more intuitional observation of the practice of agricultural insurance and rural finance. The outcome of the survey also opened the mind of them. These would be very helpful for their further research.

      The Agricultural Information Institute of Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Agricultural Science (JAAS) offered great help and support on this survey and its director, Caiming,Xu and some other staff of JAAS also joined the survey.