Farmers' Daily is one of the few nationwide newspapers that focus on the agricultural sector in China. The newspaper introduces new technology in the agricultural sector and reports on new trends and rural development. Its primary readership covers decision makers in the agricultural sector and farmers.

The newspaper started publication on April 6, 1980 and was originally named Chinese Farmers (Zhongguo Nongmin Bao). At the first, it was a weekly published on every Tuesday during the period from July 1980 to December 1982; published on every Wednesday, from January 1983 to January 1985, when it was renamed Farmers' Daily. It has printing spots in Northeast China, East China, Central South and Southwest China. It is mainly circulated in counties, townships and villages nationwide and also has a small number of overseas subscribers. The daily circulation of the newspaper was 400,000 as of 1988.

Farmers' Daily aims to deepen rural reforms and serve the 800 million farmers in China. It gives publicity to the Chinese government's guidelines and policies on rural work, often publishes Q&As and special dissertations to clarify new policies, constantly releases typical reports and comments to support new things in rural areas such as specialized households and township enterprises, publishes some readers' letters to reflect farmers' views and real needs. It also sets up special columns like Agriculture and Science, Legal System, Rural Life and Countryside Abroad to provide practical knowledge about agricultural science and technology and related rules and regulations. It publishes successful cases and experience of getting rich through hard work and provides supply and demand information of agricultural products.

The newspaper has more than 20 reporter stations in provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions nationwide and it also hires through special arrangement some reporters in agricultural work departments in rural areas. It also seeks wide cooperation with domestic counterparts in the same trade and keeps contact with foreign agricultural newspapers.