468 Modern Agricultural Reforms
- Providing favourable conditions for rural development
On the basis of reforestation with protective forest systems and implementing the
ecological benefits of these systems, a great number of forest production bases have
been established. Considerable economic benefits have been gained in terms of
timber, fuelwood and economic forest products, such as medicines, fruit and other
non-wood products. During the National Eighth Five Year Plan, more than
600,000ha of economic forests were reforested, and some 8000 township-owned
forest farms were established in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River
Basin. Small-scale orchards, gardens for cultivation of medicinal plants, tea gar-
dens, mulberry woodlands and bamboo gardens are growing in the area. The for-
ests have improved the environment and microclimate for agricultural development
and have promoted development of green industry. The cash income from the for-
est has reached nearly one-quarter of the farmers’ total income.
According to observations and research in the experimental sites distributed in
different topographies it was found that, after execution of the project, the forest
coverage has increased and the environment of the region has improved signifi-
cantly. For example, forest coverage has increased from 17.6 per cent to 41.6 per
cent in low mountain areas, from 8 per cent to 39.9 per cent in hilly areas and
from 12.7 per cent to 24.7 per cent in low hilly areas. Soil erosion has dropped from
4000ton/ha to 2000ton/ha. Considerable economic benefits have also been gained
in terms of timber, fuelwood and economic forest products. In Wangchanggou small
watershed, Guangyuan City, 33,000 fruit trees have been grown with an expected
annual fruit yield of 800,000–1,000,000 yuan RMB. In addition, the blend of
forests and grasses in the area supplies sufficient grass to feed between 1000–2000
cattle per year. It is expected that, by the year 2000, adjusting the optimal ratio
between agriculture and forestry will likely reach 0.70–0.75 : 0.25–0.30 in hilly
areas, and 0.25–0.30 : 0.70–0.75 in mountainous areas. The structural ratio
between protective, timber, economic and fuelwood forest will likely attain 0.40–
0.50 : 0.25–0.30 : 0.20–0.25 : 0.05, respectively, in hilly areas. While in the moun-
tainous region, the structural ratio of protection forest will reach 50–60 per cent,
timber forest 30–40 per cent and economic forest 10–15 per cent.
Perspectives
Although afforestation in the Yangtze River Basin has made preliminary progress
in the past several years, there are still many problems to be solved for improving
its forestry.
- Conservation and rational utilization of existing forests
The felling of existing forest must be well planned in both local and state-owned
forests. The timber felled each year should not exceed the annual increase in tim-
ber volume. To take into account the long production cycle of forests, and to
compensate for lost forest resources resulting from excessive cutting over a long
period in the past, a fixed forest culture fee should be levied on the selling price for