China to Increase Water-Saving Irrigation AreaBeginning this year, China will increase by 1.3 million hectares the amount of water-saving irrigated farmland annually in the project area for comprehensive agriculture development.Gao Anze, chief engineer of the Ministry of Water Resources, said at the ongoing National Work Conference on Comprehensive Agriculture Development here today that water-saving irrigation will greatly increase water-use efficiency, and provide strong support for the country's drive toward the modernization of agriculture. China is severely short of water resources, and its per capita water accounts for only one-fourth of the world's average. It is estimated that some 26 million hectares of farmland suffer from droughts every year. Over the past four years, China has spent 35 billion yuan for water-saving irrigation projects, and by the end of last year the amount of water-saving irrigated farmland reached 17 million hectares. |
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