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)