Major agricultural water-conservation projects rank first among the NDRC's 172 projects
Gao Juncai, Director of the Department of Rural Economic Development of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), pointed out at a press conference held on October 14 on accelerating the construction of major water conservancy projects that in strengthening the construction of major water conservancy projects, it is necessary to prevent emphasizing water sources while neglecting canal systems, prevent emphasizing main facilities while neglecting supporting facilities, and also prevent emphasizing scale while neglecting benefits. Among the 172 projects there are many key water source projects, and all of them put major agricultural water-conservation projects in first place.
To strengthen the construction of terminal supporting facilities for major water conservancy projects and solve the last-kilometer problem well, Gao Juncai said that a drop of water travels a path of varying length from its starting point to its destination, and some paths are even as long as over a thousand kilometers. It is necessary to consider in a coordinated way the first-kilometer water source and the last-kilometer irrigation canals, as well as the N kilometers in between. It is necessary to prevent emphasizing water sources while neglecting canal systems, prevent emphasizing main facilities while neglecting supporting facilities, and also prevent emphasizing scale while neglecting benefits.
Among our 172 projects there are many key water source projects. These 172 projects put major agricultural water-conservation projects in first place. Water-conservation projects include the canals just mentioned, water conservation over the N kilometers in between, and so on, to improve the efficiency of water resource utilization. For field water conservation, we are now vigorously promoting high-efficiency water-saving technology. The 12th Five-Year Plan called for developing 50 million mu of high-efficiency water-saving irrigation area. By the end of last year, it had already reached 70 million mu, and it is estimated that by the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan it may exceed 100 million mu, completing 2 times the planned target. In particular, in some fields in the northwest and northeast, drip irrigation under plastic film is practiced. The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps has over 10 million mu under drip irrigation under plastic film, and Xinjiang has over 20 million mu under drip irrigation. Now Xinjiang's drip irrigation under plastic film draws on Israel's drip irrigation technology and has developed very quickly and very well, and the northeast has also developed very quickly. Take Daqing, where I went to see corn grown with drip irrigation under plastic film: it originally yielded less than 1,000 jin per mu, but after drip irrigation under plastic film it approached 2,000 jin, and the yield could reach nearly 2 times the original.
Among the 172 projects, the NDRC arranges funds for canal system supporting facilities in large irrigation districts, and at the same time arranges pilot field water-saving irrigation projects. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Land and Resources and other departments also arrange funds through multiple channels for use in the last kilometer and the N kilometers in between. Local governments have also increased their efforts in recent years, farmers have also actively invested, and many good experiences have emerged in the reform of property rights for field water conservancy projects. For example, Anhui Province combines the property rights and use rights of field water conservancy projects with responsibility for project maintenance, quantifies projects down to users, and combines rights, responsibilities and benefits. The government issues certificates to users, including farmers, cooperatives or enterprises, and through reform stimulates users' enthusiasm.
On water price reform, the relevant departments of our NDRC are studying together with relevant departments, especially the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Finance, to formulate a pilot plan for comprehensive agricultural water price reform. In short, on the last-kilometer problem, multiple measures are now being taken simultaneously to intensify efforts to solve it.