Sichuan's Grain Project to Be Popularized WorldwideA grain project funded by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (UNFAO) has been operating well in southwest China's Sichuan Province since it was launched in 1995.The UN organization has decided to spread the experience in Sichuan and run the same project in more than 60 countries worldwide, sources from the provincial agricultural administration said. The Sichuan project, part of the world food safety special planning program of UNFAO, aims to help increase the grain output in countries which suffer from grain shortages. China was one of the first group of countries chosen by the UNFAO. China chose Baimamiao Village of Jianyang city and Mingxing Village of Renshou County in Sichuan to implement the pilot project. The Sichuan project has received two million US dollars from UNFAO to improve soil, construct water conservancy projects, spread technologies and cultivate diversified plants. Statistics show that the grain output in the two villages have increased at over 15 percent a year. Income for local farmers went up significantly and local natural resources and other social resources are rationally used. Inspectors from UNFAO spoke highly of the improved sanitary conditions in the two villages, and they were happy to see that more local women have learned skills to make a better living. Sichuan agricultural officials disclosed that the UNFAO has chosen seven more local counties and will give them nearly four million US dollars to implement the same project. |
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