More than 1,333 hectares of ripening wheat and rapeseed were shoveled away last month in the Chen Barga Banner of Hulunbuir city in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, as local governments rushed to meet their return-farmland-to-forestry targets.

It is a pity to see grains that should have been harvested being destroyed this way. Three regions in Inner Mongolia, including Hulunbuir, are piloting the return-farmland-to-forestry campaign. As of June, the other two regions had met their respective annual targets, while Hulunbuir lagged far behind. After being pulled up by relevant departments of the Inner Mongolia government, Hulunbuir stepped on the gas. Reportedly, Hulunbuir was instructed to meet its annual quota by Aug 31.

Some grassroots officials in the Chen Barga Banner told the media that it is not too late to plant trees there even in September. They said the local government authorities in Hulunbuir should have reported the practical condition in the farmlands to the higher authorities so that the campaign could have been delayed till after the farmers had reaped the crops.

It is worth noting that according to the forestry and grassland bureau at the Chen Barga Banner, the plot had earlier been earmarked as forest land, and it is illegal for residents to grow crops there.

The farmers confirmed this was true but said they planted the crops to increase their income as the government was yet to introduce a compensation plan for the return-farmland-to-forest campaign.

Had the authorities in Hulunbuir acted faster, or had they faithfully reported local people's practical needs to the higher authorities, the results could have been different.

The local government and the grassroots authorities know local conditions well enough to have reported the farmers' concerns to the higher authorities in Hulunbuir so that the crops could have been saved. Or, the farmers should have been more cooperative on realizing what they stood to gain from the campaign.

The Chen Barga Banner has now suspended the destruction of more crops, saying it will not act until the farmers have reaped the remaining crops. But whether the farmers whose crops were destroyed would be compensated remains to be seen.