BIZCHINA> Review & Analysis
Saving every drop to nourish the corn belt
By He Na (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-02 10:59

Last year Jilin produced 17.8 million tons of corn.

According to Jilin Agricultural Development Commission statistics, of the 3.3 million hectares of land in the province, only 40 percent are drought resistant. Less than 10 percent is irrigated with water-conservation systems.

This meant that in 2006, grain output hit a record high of 27.2 billion kg, while in 2007 a drought caused output to drop to 25 billion kg.

Three water diversion projects will help ease the water shortage in the middle and western areas of the province, according to Wen Guozhi, deputy director of the Jilin Provincial Development and Reform Committee.

A national artificial rainfall demonstration zone will be constructed in Songhuajiang Valley, according to the plan. The project is expected to increase rainfall by 1 billion to 2 billion cubic meters annually through weather modification.

This year, China expects the fifth consecutive bumper harvest of 510 billion kg of grain, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

 


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