The Chinese and German governments have jointly kicked off a
four-year program to protect wild crops and fruits in Hainan and
Hunan provinces.
The German government will provide 3.5 million euros and Hainan
and Hunan provincial governments will each provide 1.75 million
euros for the program, which is aimed at improving the ability of
local governments and farmers to manage agricultural
bio-diversity.
Experts from China and Germany will work out plans to protect
and promote wild crops and fruits before the end of this year. They
also aim to help farmers project areas where endangered species
grow and help farmers bring their products to market.
Currently, experts from both countries are investigating wild
crop and plant resources in Hainan, an island province in south
China.
Experts will establish a data base of endangered species, their
distribution, their status and their ecological environment. They
will also evaluate factors such as climate, natural environment and
human activities that influence local bio-diversity resources, said
Chen Tingyuan, an official with the Hainan Provincial Bureau of
Agriculture.
They will set up three pilot zones for bio-diversity protection
in Sanya and Wuzhishan cities and the Li and Yi Autonomous County
of Baoting, where they will carry out protection and research on
wild rice and tropical fruit resources, Chen said.
The programs in Hainan and Hunan fall an agreement signed
between the Chinese and German governments last year which is aimed
at recovering endangered agricultural bio-diversity resources and
boosting sustainable development of agriculture and the rural
economy of the country.
(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2006)
