China sees marked improvement in ecological quality of grasslands

China has seen its degraded grasslands shrink by an average of 3.3 million hectares annually since 2021, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

"During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the ecological quality of China's grasslands has improved significantly," noted the administration in a media release. It was issued following a national conference themed on building pilot zones for reforming grassland conservation and development.

The overall vegetation coverage of grasslands across the country has stabilized at over 50 percent, with annual fresh grass production surpassing 600 million metric tons, the release stated.

"This reflects a positive trend in the high-level protection and high-quality development of grasslands," it continued.

The progress happened thanks to a series of measures that have been rolled out to enhance grassland conservation, according to the administration.

The nation has significantly bolstered its capacity for grassland protection, uncovering nearly 30,000 cases of grassland damage since 2021, it disclosed.

After launching a campaign focused on tackling overgrazing, key provinces and regions have seen a gradual decline in livestock overgrazing rates. Consequently, grasslands have started to recover and rejuvenate, the administration revealed.

The release also highlighted a significantly accelerated grassland restoration process, saying an average of almost 2.7 million hectares of grassland have been restored annually.

With the continuous expansion of grass seed production, the total area of the country's grass seed breeding bases has reached 40,000 hectares, and the supply capacity for perennial ecological grass seeds has increased to 25,000 tons.

"The issue of insufficient grass seed supply has been effectively alleviated," the release emphasized.