BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China is to assess all soil pollution nationwide, a senior official said Wednesday.
The survey will identify soil pollution in agricultural land and the effect on farm produce by the end of 2018, Qiu Qiwen, an official at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said at a press conference.
Qiu said the survey by the ministry and four other agencies, will locate hotspots for pollutants and evaluate risks by 2020.
The move comes as China addresses pollution to ensure food security as climate change and pollutants depleted arable land and reduced the capacity to produce food.
According to Qiu, China has set up a fund for soil pollution control and treatment with 9.1 billion yuan (1.3 billion U.S. dollars) earmarked for 2016.