2-2 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN RURAL AREAS IN HUANG-HUAI-HAI PLAIN

2-2

Project Scope and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

This project seeks to promote the development of the comprehensive management system for sustainable agriculture and natural resources, to prompt human resource development, and to develop and disseminate agricultural technology for resource conservation. The project is based on programme areas 13A, 13D, 13E, and 13F and is related to programme areas 13B, 13C, and 13G of China's Agenda 21.

1. Background

The Huang-Huai-Hai Plain is the largest plain in China. It has been formed by the deposition of the lower reaches of the Yellow (Huang) River, the Huai River and the Hai River. It includes the Provinces of Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Anhui, and the Municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin. The plain has 18 million hectare arable lands, which is equal to about one-fifth of China's total arable land. This Plain, which belongs to the warm temperate zone and semi-humid climate, is of abundant light and heat. It is also home to the largest irrigation project built after 1949, which can irrigate 56 percent of the Plain's arable lands. All of the wheat within the Plain is produced through double-cropping, and the cropping index is over 160 percent. The main crops are wheat, corn, cotton, soybean, and peanuts. This region produces 40 percent of China's wheat, 56 percent of its cotton, and 25 percent of its corn and soybean crops.

The Chinese government has since 1949 put considerable resources to agricultural development in this area. Although great achievements have been made in developing agricultural production in this area, some serious problems still remain which restrict the Plain's sustainable development. The first problem is the threat of drought or waterlogging due to the area's monsoon climate. The region's ability to cope with natural calamities is very poor.

The second problem is lack of water resources. With the development of agriculture and the economy, the shortage of water resource is a serious threat to sustainable agriculture development.

The third problem is that a lot of rural areas remain in a natural economic stage, dominated by conventional agriculture. The agricultural structure in these areas is simple, township and village enterprises are backward, and farmer income is low. These factors all restrain the sustainable development of agriculture and the overall sustainable development of these rural areas. In the future, this area will be expected to produce more and more of the nation's agricultural output, placing increasing stress on the environment. Thus this project on the sustainable development of the agriculture and economy of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain is an urgent task.

2. Objectives

• Long-term Objectives
  • To promote the sustainable development of modern agriculture and rural areas in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. This includes: sustainable agricultural production; sustainable development of rural economy, including a sustainable increase in farmer incomes; and sustainable management of both resources and the environment.

• Immediate Objectives
  • To study the patterns of sustainable agriculture and rural development in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain.
  • To establish systems of agriculture based on modern technology and conventional practices.
  • To monitor the status of natural resources.
  • To develop practical ways of protecting the environment and ensuring sustainable utilization of natural resources.
  • To establish and strengthen seven experimental demonstration sites of sustainable agriculture and rural development in different ecological and economic circumstances.

• 3.1 Conduct studies of the strategy, patterns and practices of sustainable agriculture in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. Based on the investigation and analysis of components and obstacles in agriculture and rural development, develop patterns for modern agricultural practices in different ecological and economic areas of the plain.

  Specific studies will focus on the land productivity and bearing capacity of different areas, land use and management practices, the prediction of the needs and production of grain, cotton, livestock products, fruits, and oil-bearing crops. Input requirements and their impacts on the environment and resources (especially water) will also be assessed.

  Provision will be made for training and dissemination activities in order to disseminate the results of this work to communities and farmers and to build capacity especially at the local level.

  The implementing agencies will be the State Planning Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture. They will organize other relevant departments to implement these activities. The duration of activity 3.1 will be four years.

• 3.2 Investigate and establish farming systems based on multiple-cropping, high-yield, and high-efficiency to attain sustainable agricultural development. Activities will include:
  • Research on systems for the sustainable management of natural resources in different regions;
  • Investigation of practices that combine traditional and modern techniques of farming, forestry, livestock raising, fishery and local enterprises;
  • Research on the techniques of multiple cropping, high-yield and high-efficiency cultivation;
  • Investigation of techniques of water-saving and economical fertilizer application;
  • Research on systems of combined farming and stock-raising, and livestock and poultry raising;
  • Investigation of practices for storage and processing of grain, cotton, fruits, and meat.

    Provision will be made for training and extension activities in order to disseminate the results of this work to communities and farmers and to build capacity especially at the local level. The implementing agencies will be the State Science and Technology Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture who will liaise with the relevant departments in implementation of the project. The duration of activity 3.2 will be six years.

• 3.3 Develop measures for environmental protection and establish the requisite technical and monitoring systems. In addition, research will also study the management and monitoring systems for dealing with drought, waterlogging, plant diseases and insect pests. Measures to prevent the deterioration of water resource and the continued decrease of the underground water level by improving the systems of irrigation and water conservation and land arrangement will also be studied.

  Other activities will include:

  • Soil hydrologic simulation of water utilization;
  • Utilization of water diversion work for the Yangtze River ;
  • Improvement and exploitation of saline soil, sandy soil, and calcic black soil;
  • Disposition, afforestation and management techniques of field guarding forestry;
  • Pollution monitoring;
  • Dissemination of the results of this work to communities and farmers and to build capacity especially at the local level, with requisite training and extension activities.

    The implementing agency will be the Ministry of Agriculture which will organize the relevant departments to implement the project. The duration of activity 3.3 will be six years.

• 3.4 Establish seven counties as the pilot and demonstration sites of sustainable agriculture and rural sustainable development. Counties will be selected on the based of geographic location, ecological characteristics, and economic conditions. These sites are:
  • Two counties in the low plain of the lower reaches of the Yellow River susceptible to drought or waterlogging (in Hebei or Shandong Provinces);
  • One county in the plain in front of Yanshan and Taihangshan Mountain (in Hebei Province) in the area of high production and ample natural resources, good communications, and well developed secondary and tertiary industries. The main task here will be to develop multiple-cropping, optimal-yield, high-efficiency and high-quality agriculture and farm product processing. The production base will be diversified to include vegetables, fruits, meat, milk and eggs while preventing or easing environment pollution;
  • One county in northern Huang-Huai Plain (in Henan Province) with ample natural resources but a relatively under developed economy. The main task will be to raise productivity to develop a commercial base of wheat and cotton and to diversify agriculture to promote the sustainable development of rural economy while protecting the environment;
  • Two counties in southern Huang-Huai Plain (in the north of Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces) with good precipitation and temperatures but poor irrigation and water conservation systems. The calcic black soil of the regions have a poor ability to withstand drought or waterlogging. The project will help to improve the irrigation and drainage conditions, increase productivity and yields of marketable wheat, soybean, rice and other farm products, diversify agriculture practices and crops and develop township and village enterprises;
  • One county along the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, and coastal regions (in Hebei or Shandong Province) with a well developed economy, prosperous township enterprises and flourishing foreign trade. However, the water resources are in short supply and the agriculture development is poor. The main tasks in this area is to develop high value and export-oriented agriculture of fruits, vegetables, meat, and specialized products, to diversify processing of grain, livestock, poultry and aquatic products, to reduce water shortages, and to develop water-saving agricultural practices;
  • Provision will be made for training and demonstration activities in order to disseminate the results of this work to communities and farmers and to build capacity especially at the local level.

    The implementing agencies will be the State Planning Commission, the State Science and Technology Commission, and the Ministry of Agriculture. These agencies will work with the provincial governments of Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces and relevant government departments to implement these activities. The duration of activity 3.4 will be six years.

• 4.1 Chinese Inputs
  • Project management;
  • Chinese expert's and other person's expenses of communication, office facilities, etc.;
  • Some studies related to scientific and technical experiments;
  • Construction of the experimental or demonstration projects;
  • Personnel and resources for extension activities.

• 4.2 International Cooperation
  • Capacity building to include visits by foreign experts to exchange experience and techniques, especially in the aspects of rural economy and ecological sustainable development;
  • Technical consultation and technician training;
  • The software and hardware for information-support systems;
  • Technical cooperation and exchange to study patterns of agriculture development in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, techniques of water-saving agriculture and environmental protection.

Implementation of the project will provide good examples of sustainable agriculture and rural development in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain and will accelerate this region's progress towards sustainable development. At the same time, these examples will play an important role in the dissemination of information about sustainable agriculture practices.

After completing this project, the estimated grain yields in the counties can increase by about 50 percent, ginned cotton yields by 30 percent, and the contribution of livestock raising in total agricultural output value will increase by 50 percent. Farmer income per capita is estimated to increase over 100 percent.

There will be a remarkable improvement in environmental conditions in these counties as a result of more environmentally friendly agriculture practices and better management of natural disasters. The level of science and technology and the capacity of farmers to manage their land in an environmentally sustainable manner will also be improved. The demonstration projects could also serve as models for other developing countries.