China to raise agricultural productivity as arable land continues to shrink
The Ministry of Agriculture has said it will aim to further promote agricultural productivity, and is to create hundreds more high-yield "demonstration zones" to show productivity can be raised.
The number of high-yield demonstration zones will be increased to 2,600 from the 602 of 2008, covering some 1700 counties.
Production objectives per hectare include 9 ton of wheat, 10.5 tone of rice and 12 tone of maize. To meet the objectives, the Ministry will be adopting higher qulaity seeds, fertilizers, disease prevention and a higher level of mechanization.
China contains 20 percent of world population but 8 percent of its arable land. Its population increasing rapidly, as is its arable land shrinking.
China had 121.716 million hectares of arable land by the end of 2008, according to a statement made by Ministry of Land and Resources Monday. That means it has lost 84 thousand square kilometers of arable land since 1996, an area the size of Austria. For the same time period, China's population increased 104 million, the population of Mexico.
Agriculture shares rose today, led by seeds. Shandong Denghai Seeds Co.(SZ:002041), a leading maize seeds provider, surged to the ten percent trading limit. Gansu Dunhuang Seeds Co.(SZ:600354) added 5.7 percent. Hefei Fengle Seed Co.(SZ:000713) advanced 5.29 percent. Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co.(SZ:000998), a major provider of rice seeds, climbed 3.83 percent.
China Timber Resource Group (HK:0269), a forest operator, surged 17.39 percent.
Related news
- Regency Mines shares up on more positive Mambare results
- Escher Group wins largest contract to date; shares surge
- Chariot Oil & Gas completes 3D seismic survey in Namibia
- Peninsula Energy chairman talks to Proactive Investors in Stocktube Video
- Empire Energy Group hits oil production milestone in Appalachia
- Aminex and Solo Oil to carry out further analysis on Ntorya-1 well
- Angel Biotechnology shares surge as it reveals new contracts worth total of £4.5mln
