Grain harvests 'can't be taken for granted'

Agriculture | Zhong Nan

China has seen a decade of growth in its grain harvests, but it needs to be more vigilant about the possibility of a weak harvest and improve the farming environment, said the country's top agricultural authority.

"Even though China had its 10th consecutive year of increased grain output in 2013, the government must take another round of decisive measures to curb farmland and water source contamination this year," said Chen Xiwen, deputy chief of the Central Rural Work Leading Group.

China is under pressure to fix its worsening farming environment, which has been affected by polluted soil and water, as well as the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides - for example, cadmium-contaminated rice was found in Hunan last year.

The declining quality of arable land amid extensive urbanization and industrialization means it has become difficult to sustain growth in grain output.

Chen said the future of the farm sector hinges on stronger efforts to prevent contamination of farmland and water sources. Environmental remediation, including the removal of heavy metal contamination in rural areas, will be the government's top priorities this year.

"To prevent toxic metals and other elements from entering the food chain, the government will encourage farmers to change the crops they plant on polluted farmland, reduce land pollution through scientific practices and enforce the proper treatment of industrial waste," Chen said.

Affected by three decades of rapid industrial growth, about 3.3 million hectares of farmland is contaminated at medium to high levels. This land accounts for almost 3 percent of the country's total crop area, according to data from the Ministry of Land and Resources.

"Local governments will be ordered to protect water sources - including rivers, lakes, reservoirs and underground water - from heavy industrial facilities," Chen said. The local governments' efforts will be monitored.

Chen said because wetlands are helpful for water purification and flood control, farming on wetlands will be halted.

Wetlands account for only 3.77 percent of the nation's total area, much lower than the world average, and urbanization and a growing population have made inroads into even this meager area.

China's main manufacturing and grain-producing provinces are all located in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta. That's problematic for grain output, since provinces such as Zhejiang and Guangdong have shifted away from agriculture, pushing many young people into higher-paid factory work. These provinces remain heavy grain consumers.

Chen said that to ensure the nation's grain security, the central government won't allow these provinces to further reduce their farming areas.

China now has 13 major grain-producing provinces that grow more than 75 percent of the country's rice, wheat and corn, including Jiangxi, Hunan, Anhui, Heilongjiang and Jilin.

This year, the nation's first policy document was a series of guidelines for agricultural development. That's been the case for 11 consecutive years.

This year's document emphasized that capable provinces must continue to boost their grain productivity by using advanced farming technology, building distribution networks and enhancing financial support to farmers, agriculture and rural areas.

Contact the writer at zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn