China's State Forestry Administration has published a report which says the national program of transforming farmland to forest has achieved noticeable results since it was launched in 1999.

 

The administration planned to turn around 24 million hectares of arable land to forestry in the period from 1999 to 2006. Now it says over 90 percent of that target has been achieved.

 

The report also says the program has had a major effect in controlling water and soil erosion and lessening the effects of strong winds and sand storms.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2007)