By Xinhua,
Beijing : The Communist Party of China (CPC) issued a policy document Sunday allowing farmers to “lease their contracted farmland or transfer their land use right”.
The decision was approved by the CPC Central Committee Oct 12 at a plenary session.
According to the document, markets for the lease of contracted farmland and transfer of farmland use rights shall be set up to allow farmers to sub-contract, lease, exchange and swap their land use rights.
According to the current Chinese law, farmland is collectively owned and allotted to farmers in small plots as long term leasing contracts. The new measures are seen by economists as a major breakthrough in land reforms initiated by former premier late Deng Xiaoping 30 years ago.
China is facing a mismatch between land supply and demand. The area of arable land shrank in 2007.
The CPC also called on local governments to stick to “the most stringent land conservation system” to strictly control the area of land used for urban development.