Anhui saves farmers US$208 million by exempting produce from road tolls

EASTERN Anhui province has saved farmers more than CNY1.3 billion (US$208 million) by exempting trucks bearing farm produce from road tolls for the last two years - accounting for six per cent of total provincial road toll receipts, Xinhua reports.

Statistics from Anhui Price Bureau show that in 2011, the province exempted a total of CNY640 million for via this "green lane" scheme. Last year, the province collected CNY10.7 billion from 3,464 kilometres' toll road. The exempted sum took up six per cent of the collected sum. This year, the exempted sum is estimated to rise to CNY700 million.

The province has spared one or two gates at the toll stations as "green lanes" for fast clearance of trucks carrying perishables. During peak hours, the toll stations will also change other lanes into "green lanes" to improve clearance.

Anhui started agricultural "green lanes" on December 1 2010. During the two years' implementation of the scheme, effectively reduced cost and improved efficiency have been seen in the logistics of farm products. This has also helped to stabilise the market price of such product.