Chinese Minister of Agriculture Du Qinglin said Monday that
China has set the overall grain output for 2004 at 455 million tons
with the acreage for grain crops not less than 100 million
hectares.
The target indicates China's renewed stress on food security
following years of decrease in grain output due to little
profitability of grain production. China's grain output dipped from
a record high of 512 million tons in 1998 to 435 million tons in
2003.
Addressing a national telecast meeting on grain production for
this year, the minister called for efforts to raise both grain
output and farmers' economic returns on grain production by
increasing the acreage for grain crops, using more techniques and
improved varieties of grain, and improving farming
infrastructure.
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The minister said the total acreage for grain crops is expected to
grow by 1.6 million hectares in 2004 over the previous year.
Abrupt grain price hikes caused by a rumored grain shortage in
late 2003 prompted the Chinese government to improve the country's
food production capacity as well as food security.
Ma Xiaohe, director of the Institute of Industrial Development
under the State Development and Reform Commission, said it is the
highest priority to reserve grain production capacity.
In order to accomplish that, efforts must be made to reserve
enough arable cropland to curb the depletion of farmland by
industrial development projects, increase investment in projects to
improve farmland productivity, and boost farmers' enthusiasm for
grain production.
China's arable cropland has shrunk by 667,000 hectares each year
on average over the past seven years, partly due to local
governments requisitioning croplands to cash in on a nationwide
real estate and development boom.
The Ministry of Land and Resources disclosed that some 168,000
cases of illegal land requisition were reported in 2003.
Although China, which has to feed one-fifth of the world's
population on seven percent of the world's arable land, will not
encounter any food security problems in the next two or three
years, it nevertheless has hidden risks, as rapid economic growth
eats away at arable land, said Ma.
China's agricultural infrastructure facilities have become
outdated and of inferior quality. Nowadays, two-thirds of the
country's irrigation facilities are badly run.
The Chinese government has pledged to boost its investment in
updating agricultural infrastructure and research into agricultural
technologies.
The government will also strive to reduce or cancel agricultural
taxes, in an effort to further?encourage farmers to plant
cereal crops.
(Xinhua News Agency January 13, 2004)