China earmarks 80 million yuan for agricultural production in quake-hit Xizang

BEIJING, Jan. 8 -- China's Ministry of Finance on Wednesday earmarked 80 million yuan (about 11 million U.S. dollars) in disaster relief funds to support agricultural production in the Xizang Autonomous Region after an earthquake there on Tuesday caused damage to agricultural production facilities.

The ministry said in a statement on its website that the funding was earmarked in response to damage caused by the quake to farmland facilities, greenhouses and livestock sheds. It said the damage also included the death of livestock.

It said the funding will support Xizang in disaster relief work related to agricultural production and the restoration of animal husbandry facilities damaged by the earthquake.

The funding will also provide subsidies for the purchase of equipment for pest and disease control, fuel, forage and other materials for post-disaster production resumption, in an effort to restore agricultural production in the affected areas as soon as possible and minimize losses.

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in southwest China's Xizang on Tuesday morning. The earthquake has caused 126 deaths and injured another 188. Telecommunications, roads and power have been restored in the quake-hit region.