According to the Rural Hydropower Bureau of the Ministry of Water Resources, the area of water-saving irrigation in China as of the end of 2020 was 37.8 million ha. Of these, high-efficiency water-saving irrigation areas such as sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation, and pipeline irrigation were 23.3 million ha. The irrigated areas occupy about 50% of the cultivated land area, produces 75% of the total food and more than 90% of the commercial crops. China’s agricultural irrigation water usage has maintained an average of approximately 340 billion cubic meters per year for nearly 30 years, accounting for about 56% of society’s total water usage.
Japan JST China news, July 5, 2021
5-7 China becomes world’s largest country for water irrigation on 37.8 million ha