<strong>China: Reporters Conduct Survey of Irrigation Projects Funded by Tobacco Industry</strong>

Source from:  Qujing City Tobacco Company  07/24/2014

Reporters with the Yunnan Daily newspaper and the Oriental Tobacco newspaper conducted on June 26-27 a survey of projects of construction, operation and management of irrigation facilities funded by the tobacco industry of China in Qujing City of southwest China's tobacco-producing Yunnan Province, known as Happiness Canals Projects.

In conducting the survey, the reporters of the two newspapers visited Qujing City Tobacco Company and traveled to areas benefiting from the construction of Happiness Canals including Dongshan Township in Qilin District and Huoshui Township in Luliang County to conduct on-site verification of projects of construction, operation and management of Happiness Canals in Qujing City, the benefits from the projects, etc.

Receiving the reporters, chief leaders of Qujing City Tobacco Company introduced the basic situation of construction, operation and management of Happiness Canals in Qujing City.

Qujing is a city suffering from droughts and water shortage. In different spaces and areas in the city, engineering water shortage and water resources shortage have plagued general agricultural production and development, and have formed a serious obstacle to leaf tobacco production development in Qujing City.

At the initial stage of executing the projects, there was strict choice of sites. The three townships benefiting from the projects are all major leaf tobacco producing areas in three counties and districts of Qujing City. The construction of the projects has not only solved the problem of insufficient water supply for agricultural production in the local tobacco-growing areas, but has also settled the problem of shortage of drinking water for both human beings and animals there.

Therefore, the economic, social and ecological results of the projects have been obvious. The execution of the projects has played a great exemplary, guiding and leading role, and has meant a milestone in the history of construction of irrigation facilities for tobacco production in Qujing.

The total investment in the projects of construction of Happiness Canals in Qujing City funded by the tobacco industry of China was 270 million yuan (43 million U.S. dollars), including 213 million yuan (33.8 million U.S. dollars) extended by the tobacco industry in a fixed amount. The construction of Happiness Canals in Qujing City started on December 16, 2011. On April 14, 2013, the execution of the projects was completed and the irrigation facilities built were put to water supply, after construction of 121 days. In the execution of the projects, 68.19 kilometers of canals was built, 69 cisterns each with a capacity of 2,000 to 5,000 cubic meters were built, and 50.33 kilometers of water supply pipelines were installed. Enditem