Currently Guangdong province only owns 0.45 mu of arable land per capita, less than a third of the national average, and less than a 10th of the world average.

Since industrial development will occupy more land, authorities in Guangdong are going to reclaim 2.5 million mu (165,000 hectares) arable lands from the sea and hillsides over the next five year, according to a government official last month.

Zhao Yufang, director of the provincial land and resources department, said at a press conference that the government will spend 4 billion yuan ($584 million) to the project.

Guangdong province needs to increase the figure of arable land to make sure they have sufficient land for agricultural development.

Because of the rapid industrialization, arable land banks in the province have been decreased significantly in recent decades. Now Guangdong has to learn how to efficiently use every inch of its land.

Zhao said at the same time, the lands that have been leased but as yet undeveloped will also be reclaimed over the next five years.

The provincial government has urged all city authorities to protect arable land and strictly control the rate of expansion of land for industrial development.

Projects that will help boost the local economy a lot will be supported by newly leased land, said Zhao.

Based on the opinion of Li Qingqing, an associate professor of economics with South China Normal University, Guangdong province should boost its industries which require less land than manufacturing, such as hi-tech and tertiary industries.

The proposal suits the Pearl River Delta region, where the manufacturing industry has boomed over the past 30 years, Li added, reclaiming land from the sea is a good idea.

The province Guangdong has a long coastline of 3,000 km, which can provide plenty of land to be reclaimed.

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