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WB-Aided Red Soil Development Project in SW China
A World Bank-financed project has turned a piece of red soil into 165 hectares of orchards in Jiangzhou Township of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China, after six years of efforts.
The red soil development project, carried out in 15 cities and counties in Guangxi, costs a total of 522 million yuan (63 million U.S. dollars), including 30 million U.S. dollars of World Bank loan, an agricultural official said Tuesday.
Red soil is an acidic soil that is not suitable for growing fruits. It is estimated that red soil covers 175,350 square kilometers in Guangxi, accounting for 74 percent of its total land area.
To date, 10,320 hectares of farmland has been developed under the red soil development project, while a number of irrigation facilities, rural roads and animal husbandry and aquatic projects have been completed, with technical training of farmers organized.
The project will help improve the rural economic structure, increase farmers' income and reduce soil erosion in Guangxi, the official said.
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