STORY: Desertification control brings environmental, economic benefits in NE China's Liaoning
SHOOTING TIME: recent
DATELINE: June 5, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:23
LOCATION: SHENYANG, China
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the paddy fields
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WANG BINGJUN, Local villager of Shangsanjiazi Village, Zhangwu County, Liaoning
3. various of the timothy grass
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHAO DALI, Technician of local fodder company

STORYLINE:

Zhangwu County, Liaoning Province

Located on the southern edge of the Horqin Sandy Land, Zhangwu was once plagued by sand and dust storms.

Historically, 96 percent of Zhangwu County's total area was desertified land.

In 2020, Liaoning Province launched an ecological project with a total investment of nearly 3 billion yuan (about 414 mln USD).

Zhangwu County has transformed 18,000 mu (1,200 hectares) of sandy land into paddy fields, achieving both economic and ecological benefits.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WANG BINGJUN, Local villager of Shangsanjiazi Village, Zhangwu County, Liaoning
"Before the conversion of dry land into paddy fields, the wind and sand in this area were particularly strong. How strong was it in the spring? People couldn't even open their doors. However, after the conversion project and four years of rice planting, the climate has completely changed."

Under the guidance of experts from the Liaoning Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences, today's rice yields have reached over 500 kilograms per mu (0.067 hectares).

Timothy grass, a high-quality pet feed grass, is also planted to improve the local economy and prevent wind and fix sand.

This year, the local planting area will be expanded to 2,000 mu (133 hectares) and the income per mu will reach more than 10,000 yuan (1,380 USD).

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHAO DALI, Technician of local fodder company
"This is commonly known as meadow cat's-tail. Despite its small size, it has significant potential in both domestic and international markets, with a market value of over 50 yuan per kilogram of dried grass. The grass we cultivate is primarily used for pet feed. Here, we have planted four rows of timothy grass to help control wind and sand."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Shenyang, China.
(XHTV)