“We should well seize the chance of the construction of Jiangyuan Water Reservoir to develop construction of water conservancy works and build the network of water infrastructures, which would improve the rural area’s production and living condition, reflect ecological efficiency and upgrade the level of agriculture’s modernization.”Xiang Lili- Secretary of Chenzhou Municipal Party Committee said in an interview by CCTV, “Farmer’s Daily”, Chinese Tobacco Press, “Oriental Tobacco” and some other media.

Once the No.1 file of 2015 issued by central government released to public, promotion of modern irrigation and water conservancy works become big concern of the society. From 2005, responding to the central government’s call, the State Tobacco Monopoly Bureau approved 163 supporting water source projects in China. 118 ones of them have been launched, covering 13.9billion yuan investment. In recent years, along with the construction of the supporting water source projects as Yunan Qujing, Guizhou Zunyi, Hunan Chenzhou Jiangyuan water reservoirs, and etc., the production and living condition of local remote areas’ people was improved greatly.

Concerned for the questions about the position and functions played by tobacco agriculture in Chenzhou modern, Xiang Lili answered that Chenzhou is an agricultural city, though the proportion of agriculture in Chenzhou economic structure kept decreasing yearly, agriculture still plays an very important role and a lot of people still handle the businesses related to agriculture. There are two national anti-poverty counties and two Hunan provincial ant-poverty counties in Chenzhou city. In order to reach the goal of well-off society, Chenzhou city is still under high pressure. Modern tobacco agriculture is significant to increase income of Chenzhou’s agriculture. In current years, along with the improvement of modern tobacco agriculture, people got more and more income and the agricultural modernization was improved as well. On the above points, it goes without saying that modern tobacco agriculture is in a significant position in Chenzhou city’s agriculture industry.

Concerned for the questions how the supporting water projects can benefit farmers, Xiang Lili said Chenzhou urban area and surrounded areas badly suffered from flood and drought every year and people were involved into the conflicts of irrigation before the construction of Jiangyuan water reservoir, which caused the unstable risk of society. But after the water reservoir finished, the flood disasters were efficiently controlled, over 40,000 people’s drinking water safety problem was well solved, and the tobacco fields were with sound irrigation condition which helped to increase the production capacity from 20,000 loads to 50,000loads that people got 2 times more income.

Concerned for the questions about significance of Jiangyuan Water Reservoir and how to play its efficiency afterward, Xiang Lili stated that Jiangyuan Water reservoir was the first supporting water source project aided by the State Tobacco Monopoly Bureau in Chenzhou city that it well indicated the implementation of central government’s strategies on industry nurturing agriculture, urban supporting rural and overall development of urban and rural areas. The key point for further work is how to well manage and use Jiangyuan Water Reservoir once it was completed and how to well play its comprehensive efficiency. Chenzhou Municipal Party Committee and Chenzhou Government entrusted the listed company Chendian International to handle the management work with market principals, which was purposely to ensure the virtuous operation of water facilities. It does not just play the function of irrigation, but play the comprehensive efficiency as well, e.g. the ecological condition surrounded by Jiangyuan Water Reservoir is very good that can efficiently drive the tourism comprehensive development.

Some municipal leaders of Chenzhou city attended the interview.