Inner Mongolia receives $686m for grasslands conservation

(chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2016-09-22

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), China’s Ministry of Finance has proposed to allocate 4.58 billion yuan ($685.91 million) to Inner Mongolia autonomous region each year, which represents an annual increase of 530 million yuan, compared to the previous plan period.

The central government has designated over 1.02 billion mu (68 million hectares) of grasslands to be environmental protection areas, according to the Inner Mongolia Agriculture and Husbandry Bureau.

The new conservation funding will not only focus on husbandry, but also the sustainable ecology of local grasslands, such as grazing prohibitions to achieve a balance between livestock and grass.

The grazing-ban allowance has been increased from?90 yuan per?hectare to?112.5 yuan per hectare. Also, herdsmen who have properly maintained their grasslands will be awarded extra subsidies, according to the vice-director of the local agriculture bureau.

Local businessmen who are willing to take charge of acres of grasslands under proper management will also receive funds from the government.

The regional government has clearly established regulations and enforced rules concerning grazing, and all the subsidies will be granted via a debit card toward locals.

Farmers or herdsmen may potentially be fined if they don’t take their duty to protect the local grasslands environment.

Occupying 22 percent of China’s total grasslands, Inner Mongolia possesses 86.77 million hectares of natural grasslands, more than anywhere else in the country.

Thanks to these supportive policies, the vegetation coverage rate has now reached 44 percent, an increase of 7 percent, and the environmental degradation that was previously taking place is now being reversed.