December 8, 2005

Pollution lowers China's grain production by 40 billion kilogrammes
 
China's farm lands are suffering from water, soil and atmospheric pollution, which is reducing the country's grain output by 40 billion kilogrammes a year, Chinese agriculture experts estimate.

The pollution predominantly comes from long-term use of chemicals such as fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and growth modifiers, and the improper disposal of animal waste, said the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science's vice-president Zhang Lijian.

Other pollutant sources include irrigation with industrial and domestic sewage, and acid rain, Zhang added.

Currently, China's low-yield farmland with accounts for 40 percent. Of the total land area that has been polluted, farmland accounts for one-sixth, due to a high content of organic farm chemical residues, said Zhang.

Approximately 6.5-7 million hectares of farmland in China are irrigated with industrial and domestic sewage, according to the State Administration of Environmental Protection.

Ministry of Water Resources surveys also showed that areas with soil erosion have reached to 3.67 million square kilometres in China, or more than one-third of the country's total land area. About 40 percent of land nationwide has also been hurt by acid rain.