Chinese farmers will be allowed to transfer or rent out their land, which will give them greater ability to benefit from rising land prices. That’s according to new guidelines by the State Council on the transfer of contracted rural land use.

The government will complete the registration for “right-to-rural-land-use” within five years. It also vows to push ahead a pilot operation to ensure mortgages for the usage of land, and guarantee the establishment of a treatment mechanism for mortgaged assets. Analysts say the move is expected to bring about a new round of investment opportunities for agriculture-related businesses.