This year, with the help of the county agricultural technicians, the local villager Luo Qifu tried planting high-quality upland rice on the hilly areas. More than 100 mu (6.67 hectares) of dry rice planted here have achieved a bumper harvest. The once neglected wasteland has been turned into enviable harvest fields. 

 

“We are in a mountainous area where water supply for farmland is extremely inconvenient. so this land was abandoned. We tried planting upland rice And preliminary predictions show that the yield of this farmland is about 500 kilograms per mu (0.067 hectares), which has exceeded our expectations,” said Luo Qifu.

 

 

Upland rice can grow in arid environments such as dry land and mountain slopes. It does not require the presence of a water layer throughout its entire growth cycle. 

Its taste is more chewy and sweeter than ordinary rice, and the planting benefits are considerable. 

 

Yizhang belongs to hilly and mountainous areas. To accelerate agricultural production, the county government has actively introduced and promoted new varieties of upland rice. 

 

Currently, multiple growers such townships as Jiangshui, Meitian, and Yuxi have planted upland rice, with a planting area of 400 mu (26.67 hectares). 

 

 

Promoting and planting upland rice can effectively utilize the land resources in mountainous areas, maximize agricultural efficiency and increase farmers’ income, and open up a new path for agricultural production. 

 

“To further expand the upland rice planting area, we will provide seeds, technology, sales and other services, and farmers only need to offer land and labor. At the same time, we will set up a professional cooperative based on the growth characteristics of upland rice, strengthen technical guidance and training, thus driving more villagers to increase income,” said a grower in Matian Village of Meitian Town, Yizhang County. 

 

 

Chinese source: rednet