The city of Liuzhou, in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, has improved its food safety while raising farmers’ incomes by promoting ‘clean production’ technology that uses less chemical fertilizer and fewer pesticides. Local authorities report that the city has 41 eco-agricultural pilot zones with an annual turnover of 104 million yuan ($16.92 million) and profits of as much as 47 million yuan.

Safety in agricultural products has been a major concern in China recently, especially questions about how to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as a key to sustainable development.

Luo Zeke, of the Liuzhou agriculture bureau, commented that the city has tried hard to promote two major clean production methods: one, the integration of water and fertilizer applications; the other, doing soil tests for tailor-made fertilizer mixes.

Liuzhou agriculture statistics show about 60 percent of its 213,000 hectares of arable land now being tested to help improve rice and sugarcane yields. The city uses 1,500 tons of pesticide, 100,000 tons of nitrogen fertilizer, and 40,000 tons of phosphate fertilizer annually.

Edited by Roger Bradshaw