GOVERNMENT TO CONFISCATE 5 MILLION MOU OF SANDY LAND FOR COLLECTIVE AND MECHANIZED FARMING IN KWANGTUNG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010338-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 20, 2011
• Sequence Number: 338
• Publication Date: September 24, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010338-4 -HUM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS UU 111J.
COUNTRY China
SUBJECT Economic - Agriculture
DATE
PUBLISHED
LANGUAGE
3 Aug 1951
ATIONAL DEFEN SE
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE N
OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF ESPIONAGE A EO
U 5. C.. 31 AND SE. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION 75 H U.
S 'R To AN AU
CONTENT
BY LAW. I REPR000CTIOI. OF THIS FORM IS PROM BATED. 15 PRO
DATE DIST. A V Sep 1951
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
GOVERNl'1 TO CONFISCATE 5 MILLION MOU OF SANDY LAND
FOR COLLECTIVE AND MECHFNIZED FARMING IN KWANGTUNG
Sandy land and "lake" fields in the Chu Chiang Delta region are
to be confiscated and retained by the government for state use.
They will be converted to large-scale mechanized collective farming.
Improved intensive cultivation of 5 million mou (one mou equals
1/6 acre) of sandy land may help solve the problem of Kwangtur.g's lion annual food deficit. This annual deficit laamou the tsutor30tmilliona per
piculs (one picul equals 133.3 pounds). of 400 shih chin per mou
year will be planted. An additional crop
could increase the annual food production of the area by 20 million
piculs.
SANDY FIELDS TO BE CONFISCATED FOR STATE USE -- Hong Kong, Hzing-tao Jih-pao,
3 Aug 31
Sandy fields in the Chu Chiang delta regioons willicomeeunder anspecialppr.o-
vision of the.land-reform lave in Kwangtung.
cial provision that "sandy fields and 'lake' fields ownedebyslandlords oruother
organizations shall be confiscated for state use," the farmer
. The peon governments. Such tunglplnot be ans to convert
tthetsandy fieldssto large-
provincial government of of Kwang Kwang
scale mechanized cultivation. on of the Improving agricultural method~e aPrincipalimeasureevtoibe adopted5forlsoly-
mou of sandy fields in Kwangtung are
the food deficiency problem in the province. The government has decided to
push large-scale mechanized farming projects.
In the past, farmers using old methods of cultivation were able to produce
only 400 shih chin per Mmou. The new
catties er uer er mou.
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CONFIDENTIAL
rotation of crops will be started, fertilizer and irrigation methods will be
improved, and selected seeds will be planted. Rice seed, such as the Chin Feng
Hsueh No 5 which grows well in alkaline and wet soils, will be used. Sowing in
high or low ground does not affect the yield of this type.
According to the provincial Agriculture and Forestry Department, cadres
are now making surveys of various sandy field areas. They are helping the local
farmers with seed selection and the P ovemenof nr . Preliminary re-
ports indicate that all plans are Progressing satisfactorily.
PLANS FOR STATE CULTIVATION OF SANDY FIELDS -- Hong Kong, Hsing-tao Jih-pao,
3 Au(, 51
According to the 1946 survey, the annual food deficit for Kwangtung Province
was about 30 million piculs. For the province to become self-sufficient it food,
the 5 million mou of fertile sandy land in the Chu Chiang delta must be utilized
fully. In the past, due to high rent, lack of labor, capital, and modern tech-
niques, this land was not used efficiently.
High rents have prevented the farmers from earning enough to purchase fer-
tilizer. Thus, the once fertile soil has become depleted. At p-.'esent, one mou
produces an average of only 400 shih chin of grain.
Experiments in the sandy fields of Fan-yu and Yu-hsia-wo for the past 5 years
have shown that two crops may easily be planted on the same landueach year. At
two-
present, however, the farmers plant only one crop per Y
crop system, an additional yield of 400 shih chin per mou could be obtained from
the 5 million mou of sandy land, which,in turn, can increase the annual food pro-
duction by 20 million piculs. This does not take into account the increase of
yield due to improved agricultural methods. If mechanized farming, fertilizers,
better seeds, and irrigation systems are added, an increase in yield of 30 catties to the per mou can easily be obtained. will add another crops
total production. . Thus, , by increasing the yield
each year, these sandy areas can solve the food deficiency problem in Kwangtung.
Most of the sandy areas lie in the Chu Chiang delta;.some are in the Ch'ao-
n, Yen-hai, regions. steadily. The em intreasonslare: produc-
tion from
1. Before the liberation and rent reduction, the farmers ww ereaable tofkee
only 20 catties out of 400 catties they produced unit cultivating 80 mou could hardly subsist on such a meager income. Farmers
had to pursue a secondary trade or resort to borrowing. Usually, they used their
labor c
lands to plant other crops. The lack
tivate bulky garden crops. This prevented
2. Statistics show that an average farm has four adults and one ox to cul-
Thus
tivate andsinallows tensive0cumou to ltivationhandrthe.planting
the he lack
of two crops each year.
proveitheime
3. ~,oest nathercontracts. 1 doincentivenot
stipula
fields or even to use fertilizer.
4. There is no yearly rotation of crops or other modern technique to im-
prove the soil.
5. Farmers have no sense of permanency of remaining in the village or cul-
tivating the land. They refuse to invest their savings to improve even their
own land.
RAL.
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CONFIDENTIAL
program now being carried out in Kwangtung,the above
Under the limnated. T government will confiscate all these lands. In
evils will
to be other mip types The coonr eof land, the sandy fields will not be redistributed to
The government has planned to convert part of it into collective
be
the farmers. farms. Mechanized and modern methos~ mi110therspartsTof themsandy land will then will be
free to join the collective farm sy give
rented t farmers assurance
to farmers. Long-term contracts will be used to g
and incentive ror improving the land. The objective of the second program roduction.
to assist the farmers in using new agricultural techniques to step up p.
According to the Agricul' re and Forestry Department, the primary objective
laisuall rotation ab-
is to improve the texture of the soil. Since the soil
sorbent and bulky crop such as sugar cane should be planted as a an dry and loosen
Disc plows should then be used. The two processes will help to Y
the fields. Fertilizer should later be used to the best advantage.
Next, the irrigation system will be improved. Wooden sluiceswere used
originally to guide the water into the individual fields. Theareagiringy and
wooden sluices absorbs much energy and expi_ ae should be
are damaged by water pressure. To improve this, cement wateragat. s central be A
constructed; one for incoming and thatesother
and an therhthe incoming water gates.
ditch will connect all dis:harging g min aa e gates.
This will avoid the frequent and expensive repair of water ga
irrigation. More roads should be built to handle farm products and mechanized
implements.
Experiments te show that,
Toaincreasedorganicbmatteraand improve thettexture,
to grow
material for these and al
till a green crop may be planted after the autumn ~dertand thelfield flooded to
spring. The whole crop should then be plowed
allow the green crop to rot. The farmers should be encouraged to raise ducks
high content. is
s who
on a very large scale
made provide
loans and gave other a
spring the government
raise ducks for this purpose.
CONFIDENTIAL