Farm land and a river in Jiangxi province are polluted by wastewater discharged from a nearby paper-making factory. (File photo/Beijing News)
(ECNS) -- Agriculture has overtaken industry as the biggest non-point source pollution in China, according to vice minister of Agriculture Zhang Taolin.
Zhang said hazards facing soil and water pollution and the safety of agricultural products have increased, Beijing Times reported.
Industrial and civil pollution has shifted to agriculture, lowering the quality of arable farmland. Another negative factor is the consistent overuse of fertilizer and pesticides, while livestock dung, agricultural waste and grasses were too often inappropriately managed.
[Read more: Fertilizer use in China exceeds 'safety level': official]
The ministry has introduced measures to reduce pollution in the agricultural sector such as securing the volume of irrigation water at 372 billion cubic meters, Zhang explained.
It will also reduce the amount of pesticide usage to 300,000 tons from the current level of 320,000 tons via improved fertilizing techniques.
"It is practically and theoretically feasible to use less fertilizer without damaging agricultural production. Farms are also encouraged to utilize organic fertilizer," he added.
Zhang said polluters shall be held responsible for cleanups and that these problems and burden would be shifted solely to farmers, whose interests must be protected.
