Chongqing Qianjiang: Returning Farmland to Forest Boosts Rural Industry Development, Farmers Benefit 430 Million Yuan
Chongqing Qianjiang: Returning Farmland to Forest Boosts Rural Industry Development, Farmers Benefit 430 Million Yuan
(Agricultural Wealth Network) Since 2000, Qianjiang District, as one of the first batch of pilot demonstration districts and counties for the Grain for Green Project in Chongqing, has converted 62.45 mu of farmland to forest. The state and the municipality have cumulatively allocated 430.4 million yuan in grain subsidies and direct grain subsidy cash payments, grain transport fees, and seedling subsidy fees, directly benefiting more than 300,000 farmers in 68,704 households across 206 village (community) committees in 30 subdistricts, towns, and townships throughout the district.
It is understood that in the nearly 10 years of implementing the Grain for Green Project, Qianjiang District has organically combined returning farmland to forest with forestry industry development, advancing rural industrial structural adjustment, and promoting farmers' income growth, resulting in improved ecological environment and manifested ecological benefits. As of now, the district's forest land area has reached 1.991 million mu, an increase of 703,000 mu; the standing forest stock volume is 5.181 million cubic meters, an increase of 2.204 million cubic meters; the forest coverage rate is 42%, an increase of 12.4 percentage points; the area of soil erosion has decreased from 2,214 square kilometers to 1,160.49 square kilometers, and geological disasters and severe weather have significantly decreased; the district has used the Grain for Green Project to establish a 55,000-mu sericulture base, a 130,000-mu industrial raw material forest base mainly of poplar, and a 40,000-mu walnut dried fruit base. Forestry enterprises such as the sericulture company, Yinxiang Wood Industry Company, and Xinfeng Plywood Factory are already operating normally; the income of farmers participating in the Grain for Green Project has increased year by year, and they have received 360 million yuan in direct subsidies for the project; characteristic industries have begun to show results. In 2008 alone, the district's silkworm cocoon output was 27,000 dan, silkworm farmers' income from cocoon sales was 22.779 million yuan, income from kiwifruit and other products was 6.8 million yuan, income from under-forest planting was 31 million yuan, income from subsequent industry processing was 32.99 million yuan, and eco-tourism income reached 236 million yuan.
It is understood that in the nearly 10 years of implementing the Grain for Green Project, Qianjiang District has organically combined returning farmland to forest with forestry industry development, advancing rural industrial structural adjustment, and promoting farmers' income growth, resulting in improved ecological environment and manifested ecological benefits. As of now, the district's forest land area has reached 1.991 million mu, an increase of 703,000 mu; the standing forest stock volume is 5.181 million cubic meters, an increase of 2.204 million cubic meters; the forest coverage rate is 42%, an increase of 12.4 percentage points; the area of soil erosion has decreased from 2,214 square kilometers to 1,160.49 square kilometers, and geological disasters and severe weather have significantly decreased; the district has used the Grain for Green Project to establish a 55,000-mu sericulture base, a 130,000-mu industrial raw material forest base mainly of poplar, and a 40,000-mu walnut dried fruit base. Forestry enterprises such as the sericulture company, Yinxiang Wood Industry Company, and Xinfeng Plywood Factory are already operating normally; the income of farmers participating in the Grain for Green Project has increased year by year, and they have received 360 million yuan in direct subsidies for the project; characteristic industries have begun to show results. In 2008 alone, the district's silkworm cocoon output was 27,000 dan, silkworm farmers' income from cocoon sales was 22.779 million yuan, income from kiwifruit and other products was 6.8 million yuan, income from under-forest planting was 31 million yuan, income from subsequent industry processing was 32.99 million yuan, and eco-tourism income reached 236 million yuan.