Project of Returning Farmland to Forest Set Going in Full Swing

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 11, 2002

Project of Returning Farmland to Forest Set Going in Full Swing

This year will see a newly-added area of 2.207 million hectares of farmlands being returned to forests with all work to be undertaken by each and every household

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The year 2002 will see the project of returning farmlands to forests get going to the full. This was learnt from the TV working conference held on Oct.10, 2002 by the Office for West Development under the State Council. It is to hasten on the basis of the two years experimental work the implementation of "returning farmlands to forests and opening the granary for relieving the poor" by grasping the opportune time of having a relatively full store of grain.

In the year 2002, it is planned to add around 2.207 million hectares by returning farmlands to forests and to afforest 2.662 million hectares of slope and hillside wasteland that are suitable for afforestation.

According to rough statistics, by the end of the year 2001, we'd completed a total of 1.245 million hectares in returning farmlands to forests, added with an afforestation area of 1.091 million hectares on hillsides and wasteland suitable for afforestation. Putting the two together they came to 2.336 million hectares in total.

However, during the experimental period, due to the extensiveness in carrying out the project there occurred some problems that brooked no negligence. For instance, some places witnessed oversimplified way in handling the matter and they failed to make a good solution between the relations of a long-term livelihood for farmers and herdsmen and the development of local economy in that area. And still in some other places there even happened such problems as putting aside the funds of saplings and cash subsidies, getting the state capital for grain-supply in a fraudulent way and providing unqualified grain to farmers in violation of the state regulations.

The conference came to a conclusion that in 2002, the work of returning farmlands to forests must be made sure to be carried out by each and every household, namely the "Three to Household". That is the returning farmlands to forests, afforestation on slopes and wastelands suitable for planting trees and the protection of vegetation to household; the policy of the state grain subsidies, cash subsidies and subsidies for saplings being made sure to household and the policy of whoever plants trees (grasses) enjoys the benefit being carried out to household.

The conference has put forward a clear-cut requirement for the work of returning farmlands to forests in 2002. First of all, the leadership of the work must be further strengthened with responsibilities made sure to all levels. Secondly it is to do a good job at the grassroots level to ensure the quality of the project. Thirdly to do a conscientious work in the preparation of the saplings in order to ensure a sufficient supply of them. Fourthly to strengthen the supervision and checkup work by laying a strict hand on controlling grain and cash subsidies, and Fifthly to work out the regulations governing the work of returning farmlands to forests in order to make it work in a regular way.

Addressed at the conference were Zeng Peiyan, Head of the State Planning Commission and Zhou Shengxian, Director of the National Administration of Forestry. Reports were given by the government leaders of Sichuan Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Shaanxi Province about the progress of returning farmlands to forests and how the work being carried out in their own regions.

By PD Online Staff Han Rongliang

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