The western part of Jilin province, where the soil used to be heavily saline-alkali, has become a new rice-growing area, with production increasing over the 2009 – 13 period, according to a report, of Nov 13, from the provincial grain administration.

Han Fuchun, head administrator, explained, “West Jilin will be an important granary filler for the country given its abundant sunshine and soil suited for rice-growing.”

The growing harvests over the five-year period came from a transformation of the saline-alkali soil, mainly in the Songyuan and Baishan areas, when the local government used a method to remove salt from the soil in 2007 by diverting rivers into the fields to try dissolving the salt and maintaining the alkali in proper proportion, through constant irrigation.

The new fields increased rice production to the degree that it accounts for 10 percent of China’s total increase.

Han noted, “Paddy rice is suitable to the soil and the rice produced here reaches national grain standards.”