March 7
Han Changfu, minister of agriculture
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Han Changfu, minister of agriculture, attends a press conference on deepening of the supply-side reform in Beijing on March 7, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] |
On agricultural environment
In 2016, China realized zero growth in the use of pesticide and about zero growth in use of fertilizers.
In next step the government will launch five campaigns to further improve agricultural environment: All the excrement from large-scale farms will either go through special treatment or be reused as resources; the excessive use of fertilizers in the horticultural sector, especially fruit and vegetables, will also be targeted and use of organic fertilizers will be encouraged; reduce the use of plastic mulches (mainly used as coverings for compost) and authorities will encourage farmers to use thicker mulch sheets to make them easier to be recycled through machinery; better utilize crop straw in the northeast region and protect aquatic organisms especially those in the Yangtze River.
On grain output
China saw growth in grain output for many years. Last year, the output fell by 10.4 billion jin (5.2 billion kg) but it is still the second-highest grain output in history. And the reduction was mainly in corn, which was a result of proactive adjustment and within our expectation. Therefore, it is common to adjust grain output according to supplies and demands and this kind of adjustment will become normal in the future.
