Expertise and practices on conserving farmland water should be shared and spread across the country, Vice-Premier Wang Yang said.

Local authorities and central departments have collaborated with each other over the past year and promoted reform and innovation in irrigation, he said at a teleconference on farmland irrigation on Oct 24.

He highlighted the improved irrigation-focused infrastructure, which ensures efficient relief work in fighting flood and drought, as a key contributor to the development of agriculture and rural areas.

According to Wang, the farmland irrigation construction has been organized, mobilized and managed in innovative ways in different towns, cities and provinces, with growing capital investment and the introduction of new mechanism in projects.

However, the vice-premier said the innovation of irrigation development is still difficult as the weak infrastructure in farmland irrigation remains a major bottleneck, and problems such as lack of organization and financial input, as well as poor management stand out.

Wang said equal attention should be attached to major water conservancy projects and the construction of small-scale ponds, pump stations and canals.

He also asked authorities to speed up the construction of irrigation areas and the promotion of water-saving techniques to ensure that rural residents get safe drinking water.

As the nation’s industrialization and urbanization push forward, there is a growing demand for farmland irrigation. More efforts should be made to accelerate reform and innovation of irrigation and consolidation of the foundation of agricultural development and food security, so as to further assist the sustainable and healthy development of economy and society, Wang said.