China continues to lose vast areas of arable land to
construction and development, a situation that has led to grain
security concerns for the world's most populous nation.
Rapid economic development saw farmland acreage drop to 122
million hectares last year, 361,600 hectares less than in 2004.
Per capita arable land was 1.4 mu, or 0.093 hectares
last October, down from 0.094 hectares only a year earlier,
according to a China Youth Daily report on Wednesday.
A recent national land survey (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and
Taiwan) by the Ministry of Land and Resources showed that land used
for new construction totaled 212,000 hectares last year.
During the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005) period, China
lost 6.16 million hectares of arable land, an average of 1.23
million hectares annually, as a result of economic growth and
frequent adjustments to the agricultural production structure.
Accelerated industrialization and urbanization, expanding
investment and afforestation also contributed to the decrease.
Vice Minister of Agriculture Fan Xiaojian pointed out that China
could have problems feeding its 1.3 billion-plus population unless
the trend is curbed.
"With the current acreage, it would be difficult to guarantee
the country's safe grain supply," he said.
A ministry official said that the 11th Five-Year Development Guidelines
(2006-2010) call for the cultivation of a guaranteed 120 million
hectares of arable land. This means that China can only afford to
lose?2 million hectares of farmland over the next five
years.
Last year the government tightened restrictions on the
acquisition of farmland for construction.
China's annual grain production is 484 million tons, but the
government is aiming to raise this to 500 million tons.
(Xinhua News Agency April 6, 2006)