Welcome to Acta Prataculturae Sinica ! Today is Share:

Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2009, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (5): 1-9.

    Next Articles

Promoting prataculture development in arable region to ameliorate the farming system and insure food security in China

REN Ji-zhou, LIN Hui-long   

  1. College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University,
    Gansu Grassland Ecological Research Institute, Lanzhou 730020, China
  • Received:2009-01-24 Online:2009-10-20 Published:2009-10-20

Abstract: Considering the relations among cropland, grain yield and population in China, the country’s food security faces a formidable challenge. Although China will have no problem to support its population which demanding about 200 million ton grain in the medium and long terms, the huge amount of food demanded by livestock, about 500 million tons, will be a unbearable load for its traditional agricultural system. It would be unreliable to rely on the international market due to its limited capacity and uneven price. To secure its food safety, China has to reform its food structure by stressing equally on both animal and plant products, adjusting the structure of new food production and consumption, which is a long term strategy to deal with the situation of world food shortage. To develop prataculture in arable land is an effective approach to integrate forage growing into the traditional farming region so that to maintain and increase grain production by fully utilizing all recourses such as solar rays, heat, water, soil and at the same time to develop herbivore livestock production. This approach may have important functions in terms of ecological service and great potential role to play since there is a huge land resource available. It would be a significant measurement taken in securing the food safety and may be regarded as a revolution to the current model of farming system.

CLC Number: