China launches online inquiry platform for permanent basic farmland to strengthen protection and supervision

(An aerial drone photo shows reapers harvesting wheat in the farmland in Meishan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province)

China has launched an inquiry platform for permanent basic farmland to enforce protection and strengthen social supervision, according to Ministry of Natural Resources of China.

The public can conveniently and quickly access information about the areas and location of permanent basic farmland through the ministry's website, app and a WeChat tool, according to the ministry.

This marks the first time at the national level that inquiry services for permanent basic farmland have been made available to the public online. The platform has maximized the data accessible to the public but some data needs further processing and refinement.

The public can check the categorization of farmlands on the platform. They can report to county authorities if they discover activities on permanent basic farmland including planting fruit trees, flowers, or excavating ponds for fish farming, or when permanent basic farmland is being occupied for residential or other construction purposes, or planting conditions of the permanent basic farmland are damaged due to the dumping of construction waste and other activities. Local authorities will verify the situation and take prompt actions.

The platform is an important supplement to the ongoing efforts across various regions to disclose information about permanent basic farmland and provides the public with more diverse channels to actively participate in the supervision and protection of permanent basic farmland.