March 24, 2010
China's soil deterioration may spell farming crisis
China needs to improve the quality of its polluted, overworked and artificially fertilised soil in order to grow enough crops for the country's 300 to 400 million new city dwellers over the next 30 years, said Han Jun, an expert on rural policy at the Development Research Centre.
China's urban population would rise from 47%-75% in the next three decades and it has led to a rise in the consumption of meat, grain and dairy products. The deterioration in soil quality is therefore a major problem since arable lands are getting scarcer as more lands are cleared for residences, roads and other infrastructure, explained Han.
Inappropriate farming techniques and industrial pollution are some of the main causes jeopardising the soil quality. It was claimed that more than twice as much nitrogen fertiliser is used on the average hectare of Chinese farmland as against the international standard.
Factory waste has contaminated more than a tenth of the country's farmland, added Han. However, the country's first pollution census revealed that agricultural fertiliser was the major culprit in water contamination as compared to factory effluent.
Han explained that it was unrealistic to expect an abrupt withdrawal of artificial fertiliser in farming but rather, farmers should be taught to use it less and in a more controlled manner, and whenever possible, opt for alternatives such as natural fertiliser.
So far, the Chinese government has no intention of moving towards the mega-farms as seen in many other countries since a plot of land in the country is a form of social security for the 850 million registered rural residents.
