Safflower plants come to the desert

As a bulwark against desertification, safflower plants are being cultivated on arid land in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, according to a regiment of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

Workers from the regiment began sowing safflower seeds on May 1, and will complete the task soon. About 53 hectares will be planted in the Gurbantunggut Desert in northern Xinjiang.

Wang Hongjiang, a technician in the regiment, said desert conditions are actually ideal for safflower cultivation.