Large areas of farmland are abandoned, and some high-quality black soil in Tieling, Liaoning has been reclaimed due to coal mining subsidence | waterlogging | farmland

Tieling City, Liaoning Province is located in the upper reaches of the Liao River, with a vast area of black soil, and is known as the "granary of northern Liaoning". The 42 ° north latitude is known as the "Golden Corn Belt", and Tieling is located in this "golden zone". Recently, several villagers in Diaobingshan City, Tieling have reported that in the past decade, due to the mining of surrounding coal mines, some farmland has subsided and even formed depressions, with severe water accumulation. Villagers are unable to cultivate normally, and farmland has been extensively abandoned, including a large amount of basic farmland and high standard farmland.

Public information shows that Diaobingshan City is an emerging coal industry city and one of the top 100 county-level economies in China. In recent days, reporters have visited and investigated multiple administrative villages in Xiaoming Town, Xiaonan Town, and Daming Town in Diaobingshan City, and found that the cultivated land around the villages has varying degrees of settlement and waterlogging. In severe areas, ponds that cannot be seen at a glance have formed, and even birds are foraging. The corn planted on these cultivated lands is prone to continuous lodging, with uneven height and difficulty in ensuring a harvest. Why has the precious black soil become in such a state? How can we preserve farmland as the lifeline of food production?

Basic farmland and high standard farmland are "injured"

There are warning signs for mining subsidence areas standing in the ground

The reporter visited the fields around Wanjiafang Village in Xiaoming Town, Diaobingshan City and saw a white background red lettered sign with the words "mining and sinking area" standing in the area. On the south side of the village level road from Wanjiafang Village to Shuangshuzi Village, there is also a sign that reads "2019 High standard Farmland Construction Project in Xiaoming Town, Diaobingshan City, with a construction area of 3000 acres". Behind the sign, there are obvious potholes and waterlogging in the visible area, and the height of the corn is uneven.

Signboard for High Standard Farmland Construction Project in Wanjiafang Village

The land behind the sign has obvious potholes

Mr. Liu: High, about three meters. The affected areas are uneven, some are 40-50 centimeters, 60-70 centimeters. It's one thing whether you can grow corn seedlings or not. You can't let this land grow grass, it looks even more heartbreaking.

The height of corn is uneven

Mr. Liu lives in Wanjiafang Village and is interested in the development prospects of the black soil in this area. In 2014, he established a "family farm" and contracted over 1000 acres of arable land. But now, corn has entered the flowering and pollination period, and in the land affected by coal mining subsidence, corn is tall and short.

Mr. Liu said, "Our contracting scope is all within the scope of the subsidence area. In the past three years, we have been severely affected by disasters. It turns out that before the subsidence, our land was basically dry and flooded with guaranteed harvests. As far as I can remember, there has been no shortage of corn in the local area. After the subsidence, the water in the entire field accumulates inside and cannot be discharged, and all our inputs are thrown into it."

Farmland turning into wetlands, attracting birds to forage

At the junction of Wanjiafang Village North, Tuanjie Village South, and Shahousuo Village, the reporter saw several villagers repairing culverts for drainage channels. The accumulated water in the land needs to be drained in a timely manner. In areas with severe waterlogging, birds occasionally come to search for food.

Birds are foraging in areas with severe waterlogging

Villager: We only have 4.2 acres per person.

Villager: Let's not talk about it. Look at the situation here. There's no harvest, it's not growing, it's blistering.

In the corn field of Xindengjia Village in Xiaoming Town, there is a basic farmland monument erected by the Diaobingshan Municipal Government on August 6, 2011, which is marked with the words "Basic Farmland Protection Zone". The cultivated land around the monument has also been affected to varying degrees. The villagers working in the field told reporters that even if there may be no harvest, they are not willing to let the land be abandoned.

The basic farmland marker monument placed on the corn field

Villager of Xindengjia Village: It is evident that this piece has sunk four to five meters without any harvest. It is clear at a glance that water cannot be drained, and this is a "pot bottom pit".

Villager of Xindengjia Village: Yes, I cannot abandon bad land. Farmers cherish their land the most.

Around Xiaoming Town, Xiaonan Town, and Daming Town in Diaobingshan City, the reporter visited more than ten villages. The map shows that if the route is circled around for at least 20 kilometers, the cultivated land within the circle is affected to varying degrees, and there are even ponds that cannot be seen at a glance.

Villagers of Xiaoming Village: about four meters.

Villagers of Xiaoming Village: Over 200 acres of land.

Severe waterlogging areas have formed large ponds

The compensation provided by the mining party is difficult for the villagers to accept

Tiefa Coal Industry Co., Ltd. is located within the territory of Diaobingshan City. The company's subsidiary mining area, Xiaoqing Coal Mine, is near Wanjiafang Village in Xiaoming Town, and Daxing Coal Mine is near Dagu Yushu Village.

Villager from Dagu Yushu Village: It's related. Subsidies will be given to the sinking mines.

Villagers of Dagu Yushu Village: 11200 yuan. He doesn't have any documents, it's okay for the people to have a look at them, they are all verbal.

The piles of gangue stored in the distant mining area form mountains

Near Zhangzhuang Village in Xiaonan Town, Diaobingshan City, is Xiaonan Mine, a subsidiary of Tiefa Coal Industry. After entering the village, the reporter saw several villagers on the roadside carrying out weeding operations.

Villager of Zhangzhuang Village: It was mined from coal in the mine.

Villager from Zhangzhuang Village: Is this a sinking area.

Villager of Zhangzhuang Village: More than ten acres of land are too sunken to be planted much, can we plant half of it.

Villager of Zhangzhuang Village: The low-lying areas have all been waterlogged to death. Not planting will cost 850 yuan, and not receiving will cost 1120 yuan. The land is still over a thousand yuan, so I'm using fertilizer to build it inside.

The reporter learned that the surrounding coal mines have been mining for decades, and even earlier in 2007, the mining industry began to provide compensation for the damaged farmland of farmers. At that time, the damage to farmland was relatively light, and due to the increasing settlement year by year, the compensation standards have also been changing.

Mr. Liu told reporters that by 2022, the compensation fee will be 1120 yuan/mu. "All contracting households in the subsidence area have paid more compensation in 2021 and 2022, which is relatively high in cost. The land transferred locally is priced at 1200-1300 yuan per acre, and with other production materials such as seeds and fertilizers, the cost per acre is close to 1800-1900 yuan. After compensating 1120 yuan in autumn, the direct loss is a few hundred yuan per acre. If there is a good harvest, the land will be sold for over 2000 yuan per acre, which will result in a small profit. However, what does the new type of business entity rely on to survive? You invested 1800 yuan and gave you 1120 yuan. How can you improve enthusiasm and sustain development?"

The effect of land reclamation is not satisfactory

The local area is also reclaiming the injured black soil, but the effect is not satisfactory. In the north of Wanjiafang Old Village in Xiaoming Town, Xiaoqing Coal Mine started the mining geology and land reclamation project in 2021. According to the public information provided by Mr. Liu, the project scale is 313.76 acres, and the construction period is from October 20th to November 30th of that year. Mr. Liu said that there are still multiple areas of stagnant water like swamps in some reclaimed land, and the quality of reclamation is not high.

Signboard for Xiaoqing Mine Reclamation Project

Mr. Liu: If the reclaimed land is done well, you can't make it even worse than before. No matter how much it is, it can't be done. Gangue and soil are mixed together.

Mr. Liu: Yes, soil is naturally formed with certain regularity and cannot be artificially created. The quality of the current reclamation has decreased by 60-70 centimeters compared to the original ground. Over 300 acres of reclaimed land can also be planted with a quarter of it. In other areas, the standards for reclamation have not been met, and some areas still have exposed soil layers and gangue.

Mr. Liu: Normally, there should be no situation where rainwater cannot be discharged, resulting in low-lying areas that cannot be planted. The soil layer covered with soil should reach more than 30 centimeters. Now the soil layer covering our land is not thick enough, and the overall height is sinking. There is water, so it cannot be planted.

After reclamation, there is still standing water on the land

Severe lodging of corn soaked in water

Regarding the compensation standards for young crops and the quality of reclamation, the reporter consulted with the petitioning office of Xiaoqing Coal Mine.

Staff: After the reclamation is completed, after all, there are seven to eight hundred meters above the ground, and no matter what, it will have to sink further, especially last year when there was heavy rainfall. After reclamation, we will also compensate with "864". If you plant in the first year, the harvest will definitely not be as good as before, but I will compensate you with 80%, 60%, and 40% for the past three years.

Staff: Documents from the mining execution bureau. Not only Wanjiafang Village, but also the compensation standards of the entire Tieling City are implemented according to a unified document in the bureau, and compensation is available for all areas in our subsidence area.

Staff: There are also reclamation projects. Until this autumn, we will carry out another round of reclamation in Wanjiafang Village. If there is any loss, it doesn't matter. We will compensate the young seedlings.

Staff: We know it, and your village also knows that the entire Tieling City is within the scope of our Tiemei Group, all of which are the same.

The normal growth of corn

The normal growth of rice

Mr. Liu told reporters that their idea is that black soil is precious, and those with the conditions for reclamation can be reclaimed as soon as possible. "Currently, there is still a large part of the sunken land in our village that meets the conditions for reclamation. What are our demands now? The livelihood of the people is guaranteed by reclaiming the land that can be reclaimed and meeting the requirements for planting. They can cultivate corn or rice. The survival of the people relies on this land for sustainable development."

It should be said that mineral resources and arable land resources are both important for Diaobingshan City. Located in the golden corn belt, the precious black soil is experiencing subsidence, and the corn is not growing high, even collapsing in large areas of waterlogged farmland. This is not only a question of how to compensate farmers, but also a question of how to preserve arable land - the lifeblood of food production. How much arable land is affected by coal mining collapse in Diaobingshan City? Can land quality be restored through reclamation? We will continue to monitor.