BEIJING - China has formed a nationwide web to provide agricultural science and technology services in rural areas, according to a meeting of the China Rural Special Technique Association (CRSTA), which opened Sunday.

Addressing the session at which nearly 300 delegates were present, Xu Yanhao, a senior official with China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), said China's number of grassroots organizations for promoting agriculture technology has reached 133,000, with 11.3 million members.

"These organizations remain a key front for providing services to farmers, promoting agricultural technologies and improving people's livelihood in the rural areas," Xu said.

Zhai Xiaobin, executive deputy director of CRSTA, in a report to the meeting, said over the past five years the association's local units strived to make new technologies comprehensible and applicable for farmers and help farmers establish more efficient supply chains with market.

Since 2006, China's central government has invested 1.05 billion yuan ($166.9 million) in rewarding organizations and personnel for providing agriculture technology services and supporting grassroots service units.