The transformation of irrigation areas has increased China's grain production capacity by 21 billion kg.

Li Guoying, vice minister of the Ministry of Water Resources, revealed at the National Rural Water Conservancy Work Conference held in Bengbu, Anhui Province on the 27th that since 2013, especially since the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, significant progress has been made in rural water conservancy work, with 24.5 million mu of newly restored irrigation area, 70 million mu of improved irrigation area and 21 billion kilograms of new grain production capacity.

Li Guoying said that over the past year or so, rural water conservancy work across the country has continued to show a good development trend and a strong development trend. First of all, the construction and transformation of irrigation areas have been strengthened and the pace of implementation accelerated. Construction of 19 large and medium-sized irrigation areas has started in the Sanjiang Plain in Northeast China and the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River where water and soil resources are available. 90 large-scale irrigation districts, 303 medium-sized irrigation districts and 61 large-scale irrigation and drainage pumping stations have completed the planned investment for renovation and reconstruction. The construction of 800 small-scale key counties of farmland water conservancy was started, and the canal system of irrigation areas was coordinated to solve the problem of "the last kilometer" of farmland irrigation.

At the same time, efficient water-saving irrigation development momentum is strong. The implementation of water-saving and grain-increasing action in Northeast China has been accelerated, not only a batch of large-scale and efficient water-saving irrigation projects have been built, but also a set of effective operation management and protection mechanism and comprehensive technical support system have been explored. Initiate water saving and efficiency enhancement in northwest China and water saving and water extraction in north China, and study and implement water saving and emission reduction schemes in south China. China has added 40 million mu of high-efficiency water-saving irrigation area.

The construction coverage of "five small water conservancy projects"(referring to small water cellars, small pools, small pumping stations, small ponds and small canal projects) has also been further expanded. 262 key counties of "five small water conservancy projects" will be arranged in six provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) in southwest China, and the investment quota will be doubled. In terms of construction scope, it has further expanded to drought-prone hilly areas and concentrated contiguous poverty-stricken areas in the central and western regions, thus improving the pertinence and effectiveness of project implementation.