【正文】 y according to their respective functions and duties. Article 18 Institutions of agricultural scientific research and relevant schools or colleges shall take up technical problems which need to be solved in agricultural production as their research subjects, and the results of their scientific research may be popularized by agrotechnical popularization setups or may be popularized directly to agricultural labourers and agricultural production and operation organizations by such institutions of agricultural scientific research and such schools or colleges. Article 19 The agrotechniques to be popularized to agricultural labourers must have been proved to be advanced and applicable by experiments in the areas for popularization. Anyone who popularizes to agricultural labourers agrotechniques which have not been proved to be advanced and applicable by experiments in the areas for popularization and thus causes losses to agricultural labourers shall be liable for civil pensation. The petent personnel in charge and other persons held directly responsible may be given administrative sanctions by the units they belong to or organs at higher levels. Article 20 Agricultural labourers shall apply agrotechniques on voluntary basis. No organization or individual shall force agricultural labourers to apply agrotechniques. Anyone who forces agricultural labourers to apply agrotechniques and thus causes losses to agricultural labourers shall be liable for civil pensation. The petent personnel in charge and other persons held directly responsible may be given administrative sanctions by the units they belong to or organs at higher levels. Article 21 Agrotechnical popularization setups at the county or township level shall organize agricultural labourers to study scientific and technological knowledge of agriculture so as to raise their ability of applying agrotechniques. When agricultural labourers apply advanced agrotechniques to their production, the departments and units concerned shall give assistance to them in aspects of technical trainings, funds, materials and sales. The State shall encourage and support agricultural labourers to participate in the activities of agrotechnical popularization. Article 22 Popularization of agrotechniques to agricultural labourers by national agrotechnical popularization setups shall, except as otherwise provided in the second paragraph of this Article, be carried out gratis. Provision of agrotechniques in the forms of technical transfer, technical service and technical contract by agrotechnical popularization setups or institutions of agricultural scientific research, relevant schools or colleges or scientific and technological personnel, may be carried out nongratis, and their lawful earnings shall be protected by law. In conducting agrotechnical transfer, technical service and technical contract, parties concerned shall conclude contracts to define their respective rights and duties. The funds needed to popularize agrotechniques by national agrotechnical popularization setups shall be allocated by the financial department of the Government. Chapter IV Safeguards for Agrotechnical Popularization Article 23 The State shall gradually increase its input to agrotechnical popularization. Peopl