China unveils plan to turn permanent basic farmland into high-standard farmland

BEIJING - China announced on Sunday a plan to gradually transform permanent basic farmland into high-standard farmland.

The plan, issued by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, aims to have developed 1.35 billion mu (90 million hectares) of high-standard farmland by 2030 and transformed all eligible permanent basic farmland into high-standard farmland by 2035.

The plan highlights that food security is a strategic issue, emphasizing that the foundation for ensuring food security lies in arable land, while building high-standard farmland is a key focus.

High-standard farmland, also called well-facilitated farmland, requires sci-tech support for disaster prevention and control, soil quality and fertility improvement, and farmland management based on information technology.

By the end of 2024, China had developed over 1 billion mu of high-standard farmland and built irrigation networks stretching a total length of over 10 million kilometers.

China's grain output hit a record 706.5 million tonnes last year, a 1.6 percent increase from 2023.