As more rural Chinese residents seek permanent new lives in cities, many of China's farmlands are being deserted. That's why cooperatives are now stepping in to save wasted farmland and prevent a negative ripple effect from China's poverty alleviation efforts. CGTN's Li Jianhua shows us what's being done.

Every year around March, farmland in central and southern China turns greener, most of it anyway. Some land is wasted as villagers leave for the cities to earn a living. Zhu Zaifeng is pushing 60 and he is heading for Hangzhou in eastern China leaving his land subject to weeds and bad crops.

ZHU ZAIFENG FARMER, HUAIBIN COUNTY "We can make at least 2,000 to 3,000 yuan each month if I work outside. It's much better than farming at home, isn't it? My kids are all working in cities, and the old are left home. I'm not able to do farm work anymore."

To save his land, he goes to the local cooperative, which pays him about 4,000 yuan, nearly 600 US dollars each year to use his land while he's away.

The farmlands across the Chinese countryside are scattered. And the cooperatives are "linking the dots" to make them more fruitful.

ZHANG FENG CHUANGFU FARM MACHINERY COOPERATIVE HUAIBIN COUNTY "The mode of entrusting idle land to the cooperatives enables us to farm by the same standards under intensive management – the same method of cultivating the lands, the same seeds, and the same scale. This can lower costs, reduce labor force and boost productivity."

Zhang suggests the government give the cooperatives more support, but China's agricultural modernization may have a long way to go. Chinese authorities have made rural China the focus of its poverty alleviation efforts. The latest figures show China still has a poor population of nearly 17 million, and the number is expected to be down to zero by next year.

ZHANG HONGYU CHINA RURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY "We should take all means necessary to increase farmer incomes. Therefore, the government should redistribute resources from the cities to the countryside by adjusting policies in rural China. The land management system, property rights system, and agricultural internal system all could use a reworking."

Official figures show China's rural population went down nearly 69 million from 2013 to 2017 as the nation ramps up urbanization.

LI JIANHUA XINYANG, HENAN PROVINCE "The exodus from the Chinese countryside continues as most rural youngsters seek destiny in towns and cities - the reason, according to villagers, being the limited resources in the countryside. Chinese authorities aim to get rid of poverty by next year, with villages being the main areas in focus. Meanwhile, the measures the government will take to redistribute resources and bring more talent back to the countryside remain under discussion. LJH, CGTN, XINYANG, HENAN PROVINCE."