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Ningxia has achieved a lot in sand control over the past few years. [Photo by Wang Zhiyong/China.org.cn]

How they achieved this

Making Ningxia an agricultural hub has not come easy.

The Chinese government has injected over $1b in the last 10 years to stop the raging desertification.

Today, China has halted the advance of the desert in the province.

"We have had a break-through in anti-desertification. We have stopped the advance of the desert and turned it into a farm land," said Lai Weili, the division head of plantations in Ningxia.

The Chinese government set up a network of water tubes for the irrigation of crops in the desert. A lot of money was sunk into the project. Water for irrigation in China is drawn from the Yellow River.

The Chinese government is also encouraging private investors to invest in anti-desertification businesses like tree planting. In turn, the government gives the investors subsidies in form of simple loans and free land for such projects.

Wang Ting, the deputy general manager of Meili Forestry Company which owns miles of forests in a desert around Zong Wei City, says apart from planting forests to fight desertification, the trees also provide employment to the locals.

Zong’s company employs over 2,000 locals who are now living a descent life in a desert.

Research has also helped China to realise its goals. China has injected a significant amount of money in science and research with the aim of producing drought-resistant crops.

Officials said over 160 different crop species have been developed by 10 research institutes in the province in the last few decades.

To come up with drought-resistant crops, 300 researchers in Ningxia were hired to fine tune the quality (taste) and productivity (quantity) of new crop varieties.

That may differ from Uganda where some of the modified crops like bananas lose the taste and become unmarketable.

China also gives subsidies to farmers willing to use the new seeds. Uganda is yet to reach that level, a move that may help the citizens, like those of Karimoja.

The Ugandan government had initiated the NAADS programme to help the farmers access high quality seeds, but the project was bogged down by corruption.

The Chinese have gone far in science because the potato tubers, which they plant now can even grow above the ground. This type of sweet potatoes gives better yields.