China's Farm Machinery Industry PromisingChina's farm machinery industry, which enjoyed significant development in the past decade thanks to a rapid rise in demand, will continue to plow ahead on the modernization drive of agricultural sector."China's farm machinery is competitive in the global markets because during the last decade, the State has accomplished quite a few advanced research achievements which are now being translated into production," said Wang Zhicai, director with Mechanization Farming Management Department under the Ministry of Agriculture. Indeed, exports will be key as other nations work to modernize their agricultural practices, too. A new plan from the Center of Farm Technology under the Ministry of Science and Technology predicted China will export more than 80,000 tractors and 12,000 transport trucks in the coming five years. Yet, the domestic needs will account for a major part of the industry's business, Wang said. China has about 130 million hectares of arable land, but its rate of tractors and reaping machines per hectare lags far behind developed nations. The past decade has seen China stepped up the construction of dykes and key water conservancy projects as well as the dredging of major rivers and lakes and the reinforcement of decaying reservoirs. "These infrastructure constructions will certainly contribute a lot to the farm machinery" because tractors are used for transportation during such work, Wang said. China's ambitious campaign to develop its western region will bring more opportunities for the industry as well, the official said. In the western region, the state plans to develop large production bases for commercial grain and other high-quality products and expand wholesale markets for farm products. |
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