China ranks third in the world in geographic and climatic richness. Such conditions have given the land abundant plant and animal resources enabling the people to adopt varied systems of crop farming, animal husbandry, forestry, fishery and other related occupations.

The traditional experience is integrated into modern technologies rejuvenating the agriculture. Beijing decided to make agriculture one of the strategic priorities for economic development. The government through land reforms abolished the feudal system of land ownership thus encouraging farmers to develop production and create a modern agriculture.

Of the total area about 33 per cent are mountains, 26 per cent plateaus, 19 per cent basins, 10 per cent hilly lands, and 12 per cent plains. There are six climatic zones, while the country is rich in water resources. New high yielding varieties, modern technologies, intensive cultivation and conservation of agriculture have significantly increased the crop production there.

Pakistan should consider implementing well established Chinese technologies applicable under our environmental conditions. For instance, hybrid and dwarf varieties of rice can be introduced to raise the yield of coarse rice grown in Sindh and other provinces.

The potential of double cropping can be studied by growing short duration varieties. The probability to produce hybrids of fine basmati rice should also be considered. The Chinese rice transplanter, transplanting under plastic film cover and parachute planting techniques should be tested at the farmer’s field. Plastic film mulching over the ground is another technique adopted in the cultivation of vegetables, peanuts, cotton and other crops which increases their output by 20-50 per cent.

Another area which needs to be developed in Pakistan is bio-gas power stations to generate energy that can be regenerated. It is a flammable gas after fermentation of human and animal excreta, stalks and weeds. There are millions of bio-gas converts and hundreds of power stations supplying energy to combustion engines for pumping irrigation water, husking rice, milling flour, thrashing grain, grinding stalk, generating electricity and dry products, applying fertilizer, threshing crop, and in sprinkler irrigation.

Other areas where Pakistan can benefit is the use of Chinese wheel type combine grain planter which sows the seed. This technology can be used on large farms, while two-wheel hand-driven 12-horse power diesel tractor commanding 12 hectares can be used on small farms. It not only reduces the cost of cultivation by land preparation, sowing of crops in one operation and also increases their yield up to 20 per cent and is fast spreading among small farmers of several South-east Asian countries.

China has built over 90,000 small hydra-power units on their small and medium-sized rivers with a total capacity of 7.57 million kilowatts. Pakistan should also study the potential to construct small hydropower stations on its rivers and perennial streams as these have the advantage of low investment, short construction period and easy manageability.

The Chinese mountainous hydra-ramp turbines technology has a great potential of bringing a large cultivable area along high banks of streams and rivers in the Northern Areas. A single pump lifts water to over 30 meters high at 60-70 litres per second, besides producing 5kw hydra-power. These pumps do not require electricity or diesel as they work with water flow energy of concerned rivers and streams. These pumps can also be utilized in semi-perennial rivers and streams in rain-fed areas to lift and store water in ponds during monsoon season and use it as supplemental irrigation during post-monsoon period to increase the yields of rain-fed crops. Pakistan should also develop programme to use this technology in our mountainous, upland and plain areas outside the Indus Basin.

On its high and cold altitudes China has yaks and Tibetan sheep. The potential of their crossing with yaks and sheep in our Northern Areas be studied to increase the milk, meat and wool yields.

Likewise, China has over 1,500 kinds of marine fish out of which 200 are of economic value, while it has over 600 kinds of fresh water fishes. Pakistan should try to improve the fish culture in the Northern Areas and North–western parts of the NWFP by breeding high yielding cold region Chinese fishes.

China’s 120 million hectares are under forestry with 10,000 kinds of plants such as edible, medicinal, environmental protective, industrial, and germplasm plants. It is the largest treasure house of herb plants in the world.

Pakistan should also try to introduce useful plants in our forest lands like Tung oil plants to decrease our edible oil deficiency. China has turned its desert into oasis. Sand dunes are subdued to green shelter belts. Forestation of Gobi desert farmlands are protected by wind breaks and sand breaks.

Pakistan should also learn lessons from China how to improve 10.6 million hectares of sandy deserts into oasis and green forest belts. The Wildlife Department should study the potential of using Chinese plants and rare wild animal species for improving the forestry and wildlife.