As the law on black soil conservation took effect on Aug 1, the Ministry of Natural Resources released a circular to underpin the law's enforcement and strengthen protection of the valuable resource.

The ministry requires that Inner Mongolia autonomous region and the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, which are home to fertile black soil, make robust efforts on six fronts, including conducting land surveys, strictly controlling the appropriation of farmland, and implementing an accountability system.

Natural resource authorities in the four provincial-level regions shall keep records of the type, distribution, quality, protection and utilization of cultivated land, which will serve as the foundation for the strengthened conservation of black soil, according to the circular.

Arable land on black soil shall fall under the "red line" protection framework, and any non-agricultural use of such farmland shall be dealt with stringently and rectified. Moreover, cross-departmental efforts will be coordinated to support the endeavor, said the circular.