BEIJING, Apr 23 (AP) -- More than 10 percent of China's arable land is polluted, posing a threat to the country's food production, a state-run newspaper reported on Monday.

The China Daily, citing the Ministry of Land and Resources, said the situation was getting worse, with polluted water, excessive fertilizer, heavy metals and solid wastes contaminating the land.

The ministry said by the end of October, China's arable land area had shrunk to 121.8 million hectares (300 million acres), a loss of 306,800 hectares (760,000 acres) in the first 10 months of 2006.

China's three-decade economic boom has left its waterways and coastlines severely polluted by industrial and farm chemicals and domestic sewage. Its countryside is littered with garbage and construction waste, and its cities suffocated by smog.

According to the newspaper, the ministry said that heavy metals alone contaminate 12 million tons of grain a year, causing losses of 20 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion; €1.91 billion).

Land and Resources Minister Sun Wensheng was quoted as saying China had to make sure that its arable land area did not fall below 120 million hectares.

"This is not only related to social and economic development, but is also vital to the long-term interests of the country," he was quoted as saying.

"China's economy keeps growing at a rapid rate and demand for resources is also mounting," he said.