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Investment Invited for China's Largest Water-Efficient Farming Zone
China is inviting investors for its largest agricultural development zone in Karamay City, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, according to Deputy Mayor Lin Xiangyou.
The deputy mayor, who is here to attend the forthcoming Talks on Cooperation and Investment between Eastern and Western Regions of China, said both domestic and overseas investors are welcome to join the giant farming project.
Speaking at a briefing, the official disclosed that as the first phase of the project, his city plans to build a farming zone on 500,000 mu (33,333 ha.) of cultivable land over five years.
Karamay is one of the country's major oil production bases. Last year, local oilfields turned out 9.20 million tons of crude oil.
Although the city's oil production is expected to last some 100 years, local government plans to diversify local development to avoid hazards from the single-industry economy, Lin said. As a result, developing modern farming has been the option chosen by the city government, he noted.
Karamay has enough water and sunlight for the development of agriculture, and meanwhile, the city plans to plant 400,000 mu (26, 666 ha.) of trees as an environmental shelter for farming as well as a raw material base for paper mills, according to the official.
By 2015, the city is expected to build up a two million mu (133,333 ha.) water-efficient agricultural development zone which will be operated in accordance with international practices, he said.
A local observer said the city's plan to develop environment- friendly agriculture will strengthen its economy and speed up the development of the northern part of the Uygur autonomous region.
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