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  3. Agriculture Few people think of Saudi Arabia as a farm country, But agricultural production reached 1.5 billion last year an

Agriculture Few people think of Saudi Arabia as a farm country, But agricultural production reached 1.5 billion last year an

admin2008-12-13  72
问题                                            Agriculture
    Few people think of Saudi Arabia as a farm country, But agricultural production reached 1.5 billion last year and is on the rise. Tomatoes, potatoes and lettuce are grown in the desert, and there are large fields of wheat. In many cases the fields are watered by long irrigation arms that revolve on huge electrically-driven wheels.
    Water comes from rainfall, ground-water or wells. There are 15,000 sq. km of arable land in the kingdom, only 6,000 sq. km of which are under cultivation.
    Recent investigations have confirmed sufficient underground water reserves to support a century of sustained withdrawal, irrigating an additional 600,000 acres (242,000 hectares).
    Between 1975 and 1980, 12 commercial dairy farms were established, making fresh milk available in commercial quantities for the first time. An additional 16 dairy farms will be in operation by 1985, producing 500,000 tons of milk a year, and making the kingdom almost self-sufficient in this important commodity.
    Due to heavy subsidization, Saudi Arabia may also achieve self-sufficient in wheat production by the end of this year. Domestic yield reached 400,000 tons in 1982 with 600, 000 tons expected this year. By 1985, an additional 144,000 acres will be placed in cereal production.
    The 1982 harvest yielded 10,000 tons of potatoes and 77,000 tons of dates, of which 500 tons were exported.
    Saudi farmers are having considerable success raising cucumbers and tomatoes in enclosed humidity-controlled conditions. Using these hydroponic techniques, they are able to harvest such produce in five to eight weeks after transplanting.
    Experiments are also under way growing vegetables in sterilized sand, irrigated with nutrient pack drips.
    Poultry operations provided the domestic market with 80 million chickens last year, 29% of nation consumption, and 1.1 billion eggs, 90% of local requirements.
    The Saudi government’s incentives to invest in the agricultural sector are unusually attractive; the Saudi Arabian Agricultural Bank offers interest-free loans on 80% of the cost of a project up to 15 million. Fertilizers and animal feed are eligible for 50% of cost subsidies, and selected farm-equipment subsidies of 30 to 50% of the cost.
    The airfreight for flying cattle into the country is paid for by the government, as is water for irrigation.
    As of October 1982 the Agricultural Bank had made loans amounting to US $1.75 billion.
    During the current five-year plan the government is investing US $ 2.4 billion in the agricultural sector.
选项 A、9,000 sq. km.
B、15,000 sq. km.
C、6,000 sq. km.
D、242,000 sq. km.
答案A
解析 此题为快速浏览题。据第2段可知。沙特有15000平方公里可耕地，其中6000平方公里已开垦，因此未开垦的面积为二者之差。
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