China opened a 27,000-kilometer agricultural transport network
on Sunday, announced a senior official with the Ministry of
Communications on Sunday.
The network will facilitate the transportation of fresh
agricultural produce, including fresh vegetables, fruits, aquatic
products, livestock, meat, eggs and milk, Vice Minister Feng
Zhenglin said.
Based on the national highway network, the "green corridor"
network connects China's 29 provincial capital cities and 71 major
prefecture cities, Feng said.
The network will contribute greatly to the stable supply of
fresh vegetables in cities, he said, adding this will also promote
China's agricultural development and increase farmers' income.
In 1995, several ministries launched four "green corridors" to
guarantee a stable supply of vegetables to urban areas.
These linked major vegetable and fruit production bases such as
Shouguang in east China's Shandong Province and southern Hainan
Province. Local governments involved in the network will not charge
toll, or if they do at discounted rates to vehicles carrying
agricultural products, in a bid to cut transportation costs.
The current length of the highway is 11,000 kilometers. Some
provinces have also built their own regional "green corridors".
The network plan was developed by seven ministries: the
ministries of Communications, Public Security, Agriculture,
Finance, the National Reform and Development Commission, and the
State Council Office for Correcting Malpractice.
(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2006)