Agricultural Sector Takes Lead Position in China

One of the countrys major agricultural bases, Northeast Chinas Jilin Province has fared well and stood ahead in grain production, animal husbandry, farm produce and by-product processing for the past five years. 

Located on fertile lands in Chinas northeastern region, the province abounds with corn, soyabean, sorghum, millet, rice, small red bean, wheat, tuber, sunflower seeds, beets and tobacco. 

A vast stretch of prairie covering a total of 2.96 million hectares lies northwest of the province, providing an ideal pasture land for sheep breeding and a major production base for cattle and fine wool sheep in Northeast China. 

Last year, the province reaped 22.5 billion kilograms of grain and per capita yield topped 960 kilograms, ranking first across the country. 

During the Ninth Five-Year Plan period (1196-2000), the Jilin government has spared no efforts to optimize its rural economic structure and promote agricultural industrialization. 

The government has done its utmost to develop a comprehensive regional agriculture and revamp low-yielding lands, which have greatly increased the provinces agricultural output. 

Animal husbandry has witnessed rapid progress during the past five years and has become on the pillar industries in Jilins agriculture sector. 

Green food industry has also been growing at a fast pace.  So far, 127 varieties of green food have been developed. 

About 60 green food production plants have been set up, whose total output amounted to 300,000 tons during the period. 

To date, five leading industries encompassing corn, cattle, pig, chicken and forestry as well as local specialty processing have taken shape in the province. 

Jilin boasts large corporations which posses a competitive edge in production, marketing and trade of agricultural products. 

Huanglong Food Industrial Co  Ltd., Jilin Deda Co, Chjangchun Dacheng Corn Co and Changchun haoyue Co Ltd. are now engaged in the processing of grain, livestock and forest products. 

In addition, scientific and technological advances have been widely applied in the province to develop improved breeds and products. 

In the past five years, a total of 264 improved breeds of crops have been developed.  More than 80 percent of them have been put into production.  As many as 220,000 farmers have participated in training programmes. 

By 2000, the per capital annual disposable income of farmers in the province reached 2,023 yuan (US$244), 1.3 times that of 1995