BEIJING — China will take normalized and strict long-term measures to prohibit non-agricultural activities on arable land, said a senior official of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) on Sept 18.

Strict prohibitions on the illegal occupation of cultivated land for afforestation, landscaping, and non-agricultural construction, have been listed as the responsibility targets of all provincial governments, said Wang Guanghua, MNR vice-minister, at a press conference.

Governments at all levels should implement the strictest arable land protection policies and clamp down on activities that encroach on arable land, said the latest circular issued by the General Office of the State Council.

The MNR will take comprehensive measures to supervise the protection of arable land. It will apply remote sensing satellites to monitor the utilization of arable land and supervise law enforcement on illegal acts, Wang said.

The ministry will also play a role in land planning to ensure the effective protection of arable land, and strictly prohibit non-agricultural and non-grain use of arable land.