S China's Guangxi enjoys thriving modern agriculture

South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has intensified efforts to further modernize agriculture these years, producing more high-quality agricultural products while generating wealth for farmers.

Dragon fruits are growing vigorously in a planting base in Cendou village, Tuolu township, Jiangzhou district, Chongzuo city, while workers are busy harvesting, packing and loading them on trucks.

"Supplemental lighting and scientific field management approaches are adopted in the base that covers 130 mu (8.67 hectares) of land, extending the growing season of the fruit," said Huang Dong, an executive of the base. Huang added that dragon fruit cultivation, with an annual output value of 1.3 million yuan ($177,670), provides around 20 jobs, allowing workers to earn an average income of 20,000 yuan every year.

In Baise, a silk enterprise, by cooperating with local villages, manufactures silk quilts, and adds over 3 million yuan in extra income to the village's collective annual economic income. Liang Xiufen, a worker of the company, said, "I used to work outside my hometown with an irregular income. After attending some training sessions, I started to work for the company with a monthly income of over 3,000 yuan. As my workplace is near my home, I can take care of the elderly in my family, so I'm really satisfied with my life now."

Photo shows a greenhouse in Pinggui district of Hezhou city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Wang Gongxiao)

Pinggui district of Hezhou city is known for the largest contiguous vegetable production base supported by modern facilities. Vegetables, including chili peppers and tomatoes growing in a modern agricultural park here, boast a higher yield and output value compared to those cultivated through conventional ways, thanks to facilities such as temperature and humidity control equipment. According to Wei Jian, deputy manager of an agricultural company, this mode guarantees both output and quality, upgrading the vegetable industry.

Facility fishery, which means raising fish and seafood using advanced facilities and systems, shows promise in Guangxi. Guangxi's facility fishery production approached 2.01 million tonnes in 2022, accounting for 65.25 percent of the region's fishery aquaculture output, with an output value of 59 billion yuan.

An ecological aquaculture base with a recirculating system in Lizhi village, Guiyi township, Cenxi city is expected to produce some 2,500 tonnes of aquaculture products annually, with 18 kg of fish produced from each cubic meter of water, as all the ponds of the base were put into operation this July, according to Huang Ruijie, a worker at the base.