The Ministry of Land and Resources announced on Wednesday that China will spend 333 billion yuan (S$73 billion) to create an extra 2.74 million ha of farmland.

Cultivated land at the end of last year stood at 126 million ha. Most of the new farmlands will come from reclamation and the development of scattered lands, and not from developing wastelands.

'The country's farming land is in most cases scattered, with too many ridges and too many idle small pieces of land,' said Mr Hu Shanshun, a ministry official.

Most of China's remaining wastelands are in areas with harsh natural conditions.

The development of scattered lands is expected to create about 6 million more ha of farmland in the long run.

In addition, there are 4 million ha of abandoned mining and construction sites, 38 per cent of which can be transformed effectively into arable land through reclamation.

Mr Fan Zhiquan, director of the Department of Cultivated Land, said: 'Improving land use efficiency is essential to conserve the country's farmlands.'--China Daily/AsiaNews Network