Remarkable progress in farmland conservation

China has made remarkable progress in strengthening farmland conservation and improving its overall productivity, bolstering the nation's food security, a lawmaker has said.

By the end of July this year, more than 1,500 pilot projects encompassing 480,000 hectares of land had been implemented. These projects have yielded an additional 44,000 hectares of arable land while reducing construction land by 10,000 hectares, promoting concentrated farmland and efficient land use, said Liu Guohong, vice-minister of natural resources.

He made these remarks when delivering a report on cultivated land protection during a session of the 14th National People's Congress Standing Committee, China's top legislature, on Sunday.

The country has also been developing high-quality farmland, providing policy and financial support to optimize construction and prioritize projects based on regional needs.

As of the end of last year, over 66.7 million hectares of high-quality farmland were upgraded, greatly contributing to China's consecutive years of grain production exceeding 650 million metric tons, Liu said.

Priority has been given to the development of high-quality farmland in the northeastern black soil region, plains and areas with irrigation infrastructure to enhance soil fertility and output.

Furthermore, the country is actively combating farmland degradation, with over 20 million hectares of black soil having been protected in key counties within the region.

Efforts to remediate degraded farmland, including acidic soil, are underway in 15 provinces across the Yangtze River Basin, Southwest China and South China, Liu said.

To enhance water infrastructure, China has supported over 1,880 large and medium-sized irrigation renovation projects and more than 200 new irrigation projects since 2021.

The country is also addressing heavy metal pollution and promoting the safe utilization of contaminated farmland. "National monitoring data indicates a downward trend in heavy metal content at key points," Liu said.

Furthermore, the third national soil census is underway, collecting data including soil properties, types, and utilization of agricultural land, he added.