2-3 Sustainable Agriculture in the Red-yellow Soils in Southern China A. Sustainable agriculture and protection of the environment in the hilly red-yellow soils of southern China B. Integrated development and management of Mountain-River-Lake Region of Jianxi Province 2-3A Sustainable Agriculture and Protection of the Environment in the Hilly Red-yellow Soils of Southern China Project Scope and Relationship to China's Agenda 21 This project seeks to establish management systems for sustainable agriculture development and to select and popularize agricultural technology for resource conservation and optimal agricultural production. This project is based on the programme areas 11A and 11E of China's Agenda 21, and is related to areas 11B, 11C, 11D, and 11F. 1. Background The red-yellow soil area in south China covers 21.8 million ha (28 percent of total arable lands) and supports 43 percent of the China's population. This area has great potential for agricultural production. The sustainable development of agriculture in this area would not only improve people's living standards, but would also play an important role in the development of the national economy and society. Since the 1950's, work has been conducted to improve and develop the hilly red-yellow soil areas in Southern China, and considerable progress has been made. Focus on these issues was placed into the National Key Programme for science and technology of the nation and the Ministry of Agriculture development during the 6th and 7th Five Year Plans, and is also in the National Key Programme for science and technology developed during the 8th Five Year Plans period. At present, there are 386 scientific workers and technicians of various disciplines taking part in the project. However, considerable work still needs to be done to place the agricultural systems of the area on a sustainable basis, to reduce soil degradation, to restore productivity, and to utilize the local natural resources in a sustainable manner. 2. Objectives Long-term Objectives To Promote the sustainable development of the hilly red-yellow soil area of Southern China by improving agricultural productivity while ensuring the protection and sustainable management of the environment. This work will be carried out in conjunction with the development of the national strategy for sustainable agriculture. Immediate Objectives To develop a strategy for sustainable agriculture; Develop models and technical packages for sustainable agriculture development; To establish monitoring systems and protection measures for the ecological resources in the area; To set up seven sustainable agriculture experimental and demonstration districts of high agricultural output and satisfactory ecological benefits in different typical environment categories; To establish a red-yellow soil resource management information system; To establish a training system for diffusion of technologies developed through the demonstration projects. 3. Activities 3.1 A sustainable agriculture development strategy for the red-yellow soils will include: The directions and goals for regional agriculture and rural economy development; An indicator system for monitoring economic, environmental, and social changes; Measures for developing and managing land and water resources in a sustainable manner; Development of food and economic crops, forestry, and fruit trees; Measures for integrated development of agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, crop planting, and product processing; Measures for agriculture development in the areas along the coast, rivers, and in inland hilly and/or mountain areas; Policies, laws and regulations related to the development and protection of agricultural resources and services in rural areas. The implementing agencies will be the relevant departments under the organization of the State Science and Technology Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture. The duration of activity 3.1 will be four years. 3.2 Models and technical packages for the development of resources in the hilly red-yellow soil areas, based on synergies between traditional farming systems and modern methods. This will include: Development of models and technical packages in different typical conditions, including hilly and/or mountainous areas; Investigation of farming systems and their ability to tolerate stress and provide optimal yields and high economic returns; Improvements in production and processing technologies for the local special and high quality forest, fruit and tea products; Development of technologies for integrated agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry practices. The implementing agencies will be the relevant departments under the organization of the State Science and Technology Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture. The duration of activity 3.2 will be four years. 3.3 Monitoring and regulating systems for the protection of ecosystems and natural resources in the red-yellow area. In situ monitoring of soil and water loss, and the determination of the allowable soil erosion modules; Soil fertility monitoring and the improvement and utilization of middle and low yield soils; Investigation of degradation mechanisms and control measures; Time and spatial patterns of droughts and waterlogging, and measures for preventing and alleviating natural disasters. The implementing agencies will be the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Academia Sinica under the organization of the State Science and Technology Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture. The duration of activity 3.3 will be four years. 3.4 The establishment of seven experimental and demonstration districts in different typical conditions based on sustainable agriculture practices to demonstrate models of agricultural development with sustainable management of the environment. These projects will help to build local capacity for sustainable agriculture and serve as models for extension activities to disseminate the information widely. These areas will be: Southern subtropical agriculture district for commodity export in Guangdong Province; Agriculture-forestry-fruit tree district in the mountainous and hilly region in Zhejiang Province; Northern subtropical economic crop district in Yunnan Province; Central subtropical agriculture district on the plain and/or hillocks in Jiangxi Province; Southern subtropical agriculture-animal husbandry-fruit tree district in hilly area of Hunan Province; Central subtropical agriculture-forestry-animal husbandry-fishery district in northern Hunan Province; Central subtropical agriculture district in hills and basin area of Sichuan Province. The implementing agencies will be the relevant local governments and units under the organization of the Ministry of Agriculture. The duration of activity 3.4 will be five years. 3.5 The red-yellow soil resource information management and training systems will provide a base for extension and diffusion of the new technologies and practices developed to local communities as well as to other areas with similar resource management problems. The activities will include establishing an information management and training centre. The implementing agencies will be relevant units under the organization of the Ministry of Agriculture. The duration of activity 3.5 will be three years. 4. Inputs 4.1 Chinese Inputs Project management travel and office facilities of the Chinese scientists and other staff. Living facilities related to the experimental fields and demonstration districts. Related science, technology and information. 4.2 International Cooperation Assistance for capacity building activities such as the experimental demonstration districts, including instruments and machinery, construction of the information management and training centres, technical communication and personnel training. Cooperative research will also be required on the strategies and models of sustainable agriculture development, the monitoring and regulating of the ecological resources, and technical and extension training. 4.3 Budget The project described above will need funds of US $65.4 million. US $32.4 million (49.5 percent of the total) would be sought through various kinds of international support. The remaining sums would be from domestic inputs. Budget (in million US dollars) Activity Chinese Input External Input Grant Soft-loan Total 3.1 0.45 0.30 0.30 1.05 3.2 0.45 0.30 0.60 1.35 3.3 0.60 0.30 0.60 1.50 3.4 31.20 1.20 27.60 60.00 3.5 0.30 0.60 0.60 1.50 Total 33.00 2.70 29.70 65.40   Soft loans used in the project would be repaid by the provincial and/or local governments. The channels of the domestic funds would include: the central government investment, investments from various departments, local government investment and internal loans. 5. Benefits The project would benefit the people of 12 provinces or autonomous regions by helping to increase farmer incomes through improved production and resource management. It is expected that at the completion of the project, production of food and oil crops would increase by 15-20 percent, economical forest and fruit trees by more than 20 percent, and meats by more than 10 percent. The environmental benefits would be increases in vegetation coverage of 5 percent and a decrease in soil loss. Improved resource management and farming practices would help ensure that these natural resources are managed on a more sustainable basis in future. 2-3B Integrated Development and Management of Mountain-River-Lake Region of Jiangxi Province Project Scope and Relationship to China's Agenda 21 This project seeks to avoid a downward spiralling interaction between household impoverishment and ecological degradation by optimizing immediate short-term agricultural output and long-term ecological sustainability in the mountains, hills, and plains of the Jiangxi Province. The project is based on the objective of alleviating poverty as mentioned in Chapter 8 of China's Agenda 21. It further contributes to sustainable agriculture, conservation of natural resources and reduction of soil erosion (programme areas 11E, 14D, 16A and 16B). 1. Background Population growth, agricultural expansion, and industrial development seriously endanger the rich natural resources in the Ganjiang River basin and the Poyanghu Lake Catchment area of Jiangxi Province. This area - also called the Mountain-River-Lake (MRL) Region - consists geographically of four components: Gannan mountain area, Jitai basin, Ganxi Hilly Area, and Poyanghu Lake Catchment. In the entire region, 29 million people live on 117,900 square kilometres, distributed on over 64 counties. The Ganjiang River is the main link between the mountains and the plains surrounding the Pohyanghu Lake. In this integrated ecological system of the MRL region, impoverishment and degradation are increasingly mutually reinforcing. Still, the region has abundant biodiversity with many kinds of trees, (among them are Chinese fir, pine, bamboo and oil tea), grasses, aquatic plants, wild animals, and fish. The 70,000 hectares of lake and swamp form a rich wild life habitat. The subtropical climate, with abundant monsoon rainfall, and a long frost-free period, contributes to maintaining this natural wealth. Whilst paddy growers expand there single crop cultivation rapidly into the upstream river basin and now occupy 65 percent of all land, land and water resources are not utilized intensively and household incomes remain poor. However, soil erosion extends and hundred million tons of sediments are transported into the river beds every year. This siltation brings flood danger, and reduces the water storage capacity and the shipping capacity. To overcome the deterioration, the provincial government of Jiangxi has drafted an overall plan for an economically and environmentally sustainable development of the MRL Region. This plan has been approved by the Jiangxi People's Congress. Some donor supports have been received for ongoing research and extension activities. Sustainable farming models have been successfully implemented, resulting in a threefold increase in revenue. These models include small-scale watershed development, red soil utilization and intensive agriculture. 2. Objectives Long-term Objectives To strengthen sustainable farming systems, and therefore to improve the living standard of six million people in the Ganjiang River basin and Poyanghu Lake catchment of Jiangxi Province, and to restore the ecological balance and wealth for the benefit of present and future generations. Immediate Objectives To extend small-scale watershed development models to 100 small-scale watersheds in mountainous areas; to raise the afforestation rate from 10 percent to over 50 percent; to raise the annual per capita income for one million people to 900 RMB yuan; to overcome illiteracy and endemic diseases. To develop 66,600 hectares of idle hilly "red soil" land in eight counties in the Jitai Basin; to construct fruit bases on 11,000 hectares, fishery bases on 1,220 hectares, herbage bases on 3,300 hectares, forest bases on 20,000 hectares, commercial grain bases on 31,080 hectares, and auto-irrigated engineering on 300 hectares; to reach an income of over 1,000 RMB yuan annual revenue per capita for 2.5 million people; to eliminate illiteracy and endemic diseases. To develop the plains and eliminate schistosomiasis in 25 counties of the Poyanghu Basin; to construct a 20,000 hectare fruit base, 26,600 hectare fishery base, 20,000 hectare herbage base and 40,000 hectare agri-forest base and processing industry; to reach an annual revenue per capita of over 1500 RMB yuan for 2.5 million people. 3. Activities 3.1 Develop a hundred small-scale, ecological watersheds Extend experiences and methodologies of sustainable farming experiments to local authorities and farmers in the Longhuihe and Qingtanghe watersheds, through the provision of training, workshops and field demonstration projects. Carry out investigations of natural and human resources, and formulate watershed development plans. Grow saplings and grass seeds, and start afforestation efforts. Provide commercial information to local authorities and farmers and organize agro- processing. Promote services to improve education, family planning and a social insurance system for farmers. Develop hydropower at small-scale watersheds. The duration of this activity will be five years. 3.2 Red soil, ecological development in the hills Conduct evaluation and planning procedures for the Jitai Basin, and dynamically monitor the development progress. Extend experiences and methodologies to local authorities and farmers through the delivery of training, and by conducting workshops and demonstration projects, based on the ecologically sustainable experiments of the Qianyanzhou station of Taihe County. - Grow saplings. - Construct fishing ponds and facilities, and grow fish. - Reclaim wasteland, construct an irrigation system and start afforestation. - Develop an auto-irrigating system. - Develop agro-industrial processing,and food secure system. - Construct roads. - Improve education and human health. The duration of this activity will be five years. 3.3 Ecological-economic development in the Poyanghu Lake catchment Implement procedures of regional planning and the identify ecologically sustainable priorities. Train and diffuse technologies suitable for the catchment to local authorities and farmers. - Develop the base for growing fish, fruits and trees. - Construct irrigation facilities and afforest the plain area. - Use natural resources from the lake beach. - Develop agro-industrial processing. Control endemic diseases. The duration of this activity will be five years. This project will work during all its stages to involve the target groups in decision making processes, implementation and enforcement of policy measures. Efforts will be made to determine the target groups' short and long term interests, private and public interests, environmental perceptions and local knowledge. On the basis of these findings and earlier extension work, efforts will be made to increase public awareness to as to reinforce or introduce practices which optimize economic and environmental goals. The activities of this project will be implemented by the State Science and Technology Commission, and the State Planning Commission, in cooperation with the MRL Region Development and Management Committee. 4. Inputs 4.1 Chinese Inputs Project management Database Training and diffusion Growing sapling, fish fry, and grass seeds Engineering and facilities Education and health National consultants 4.2 International Cooperation Product processed facilities Training and technologies introduction Engineering and facilities Imported seeds International consultants and study tours 4.3 Budget Budget (in million US dollars) Activity Chinese Input External Input Grant Soft-loan Total 3.1 10.00 2.00 50.00 62.00 3.2 6.10 1.00 10.00 17.10 3.3 6.10 2.00 20.00 28.00 Total 22.10 5.00 80.00 107.10 5. Benefits About 1.6 million hectares of hilly land will be developed as a base of food, fruit, fish, and raw materials of light industry. About six million people will increase their income, and reduce their illiteracy, and endemic diseases. Soil erosion in the mountains will be decreased through 10-50 percent increase of afforestation in 3,000 square kilometres. The systems approach in regional planning will be a model for other organizations and regions in China and other developing countries. Text Browser Utilities: [Back ACCA21 Home]   For more information about ACCA21 contact: web@acca21.edu.cn Address: 109 Wanquanhe Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100089, People's Republic of China Telephone: +86-10-82636193, +86-10-82634400 Ext.2401 Fax: +86-10-82636192