The Provincial Department of Natural Resources has summed up the experience and promoted the establishment of the “field chief system” in the province for the protection and utilization of arable land.

 

Sanhe Village, Huatang Town, Beihu District, is less than half an hour from the downtown of Chenzhou. It has rebuilt more than 13.3 hectares of arable land into a sea of flowers, which once became a popular rural scenic spot.

 

In October 2021, the Beihu District demolished 4.7 hectares of illegal construction facilities in Sanhe Village in accordance with regulations, and reclaimed 17.12 hectares of land used for purposes other than grain production such as flowers sea and turf, due to the coordination and supervision of the “field chief system”.

In the future, the vegetable and rice rotation will be implemented on the “non-grain” cropland to ensure land efficiency.

 

Hunan Province has piloted the “field chief system” in six counties (cities) and districts. They are Beihu District, Suxian District, Guiyang County, Yizhang County, Zixing City, and Liuyang City. 

 

On the basis of the pilot project, the Provincial Department of Natural Resources will make extensive push to establish the “field head system” for farmland protection and utilization in the province.

 

The Provincial Department of Natural Resources made it clear that it would make major efforts to promote the establishment of the “field chief system” and an organizational system and responsibility system for “field chiefs” at all levels.

 

Efforts will also be made to strengthen the grid supervision of farmland for the timely detection, report, disposal of illegal occupation or destruction of arable land and the conversion of cultivated land into woodland, grassland, garden plot and other agricultural land. 

 

What are duties of a “field chief”? 

 

On January 4, the Provincial Department of Natural Resources said in an interview that the grass-roots “field chiefs” are mainly responsible for protecting cultivated land within their jurisdiction, pushing and coordinating the handling of the problems in the protection of cultivated land, and publicizing the relevant policy, 

 

They are also in charge of inspecting cultivated land, addressing problems reflected by lower field chiefs, spotting promptly, stopping and reporting the behaviors such as illegal occupation and destruction of cultivated land in the area, and overseeing the investigation, punishment and rectification.