In the first six months of 2004, Xinjiang's farmland has increased 490,500 mu (32,700 hectares) and its total cultivated land under protection has reached 3.38 million hectares, 85 percent of which is effectively protected for farming.

In recent years, the regional government has put more capital in agriculture-related infrastructure construction, which greatly helped the upgrading of the middle- and low-yield land. Meanwhile, electronic files have been worked out to improve the supervision of basic farms in the protected areas. Administrations at all levels are required to take their responsibilities in the project. What's more, the autonomous region and each of its prefectures must work out their own plan to make good use of the old irrigating resources while developing new ones.

When some major national construction projects are carried out in Xinjiang, for example, the West-East Gas  Pipeline Project and the Urumqi-Keramay Oil Pipe, the principle of occupying the least cultivated land must be held firmly. Of the 6,166 hectares of land used in the 180 approved projects, only 580 hectares were cultivated land, 5,466 hectares were designated for infrastructural constructions and 700 hectares were used with payment. In this way, various construction projects, including that for local transportation, energy, water conservancy, factories and small towns, have been flourishing while basic farmland is protected.

The sixth extended session of the 6th Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region recently worked out the principles for land-using in construction projects. These principles and the measures taken by the regional authorities will guarantee the expansion of Xinjiang's cultivated land and make the region into a quality food producer and the largest barn of China in the near future.

(China.org.cn by Wang Ruyue, June 11, 2004)