NW China township turns desert areas into arable land

(Screenshot of CCTV News)

Villagers in a northwest Chinese township have turned vast desert areas into arable land through the use of high technologies.

The township of Chahezi is located in the hinterland of the Maowusu desert in Yulin city, Shaanxi Province. Seen from above, numerous round fields covered in green plants and crops are scattered around the desert.

The local people began by transporting soil from elsewhere to build arable fields. They then installed water spraying devices in the center of the round fields so that they were well irrigated and water was saved.

(Screenshot of CCTV News)

The villagers grow potatoes, alfalfa and corn on the fields under a crop rotation system. Furthermore, after they harvest alfalfa, they leave the roots in the soil to fix the sand.

The annual income generated per mu (one hectare is equal to 15 mu) of land stands at between 1,000 yuan and 3,000 yuan.

Today, farming here has become fully mechanized, and thanks to this, the villagers have cultivated more areas for agriculture, and downstream industries such as poultry have also benefited.