Nation encourages rational land use
By Cao Desheng (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-10-14 22:48

China is working to strengthen its land management to ensure the rational use of arable land as well as the sound development of the land market.

The Ministry of Land and Resources -- the nation's land management authority -- launched a nationwide investigation in August into the protection of primary farmland.

According to a report released by the ministry, the nation's efforts to protect primary farmland have paid off, as the misuse and illegal occupation of farmland have reduced.

Planned changes in the use of primary farmland have been suspended and some idle land is being used for agriculture again, the report said.

In East China's Anhui Province, a total of 52,600 hectares of idle land has become arable.

Meanwhile, governments at various levels have severely punished those illegally occupying or using primary farmland, the report said.

The investigation was made after the central government placed increased emphasis on grain production in the second half of last year, said Pan Mingcai, director of the ministry's Department of Arable Land Protection.

Protection of primary farmland is one of the most effective means of improving the nation's grain production capacity, he said.

At a State Council meeting on Wednesday, Premier Wen Jiabao also highlighted the importance of farmland protection, saying effective measures must be taken to prevent illegal occupation and misuse of farmland and avoid blind investment.

According to a new decision adopted by the meeting to further reform and strengthen the management of land, development zones established contrary to government regulations will be revoked.

The decision said that government departments at various levels and officials who violate land use laws will be strictly punished.

"China will spare no effort to protect its existing arable land resources from shrinking while working to improve the efficiency of land use in industrial and commercial projects," the decision said.

Farmland misappropriated for other purposes will be restored to its original use.

Meanwhile, the government will speed up land management reform, including improving the implementation of relevant laws, regulations and supervision, according to the decision.

Legal, economic and necessary administrative means will be adopted to solve the existing problems in land use management.

The Ministry of Land and Resources is mapping out a system for the trading of the land for the purpose of industrial and commercial projects and is considering the introduction of an auction system in this regard, sources from the ministry said.

The market should play a key role in regulating and developing the nation's land market, said Yuan Xiaosu, vice-minister of land and resources, at a recent conference on land management reform.

A minimum price norm for land trading will be issued.

More substantial and effective efforts will be made to protect the farmers' rights for land use and to guarantee that those farmers who lose their land will be compensated.

The government is speeding up the payment of such compensation, the decision said.

Whether arable land is well protected or not will be a yardstick to evaluate the performance of local governments and their officials, the decision said.

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