Quzhou City of east China's Zhejiang Province has been striding to boost rural development by leveraging new technologies to facilitate its agriculture and introducing high-added-value industries to find new momentums.
In Changshan County of Quzhou, farmers have been dedicated to grapefruit cultivation for nearly 600 years. By introducing advanced farming technologies and diverse processing, local government and businesses have been helping farmers to increase yields, and brought to the market hit products like grapefruit juices, tea drinks, and healthcare products.
With new technologies and marketing efforts, local grapefruit farms have expanded to over 7,300 hectares, bringing a total output of 140,000 tonnes this year, which is valued at 600 million U.S. dollars. The county now is the base of two national leading enterprises, and has established cooperation with universities and institutes on related subjects.
"Our cooperative serves farmers throughout the entire supply chain. We help them calculate how much fertilizer they need and offer them support. Our technicians guide farmers in how to take care of the grapefruit plantations. They educate them about the latest forms of technology too. We also purchase fruit from them during harvest seasons above market prices," said Fan Liqing, a local grapefruit expert.
Another example of Quzhou's rural industry is the caviar industry, which was brand new for locals decades ago, but is now a local economic pillar.
Thanks to its favorable water temperature and the introduction of automated systems and the latest technologies, Quzhou now contributes 69 percent to China's caviar exports and takes up 60 percent of the global share. Xunlong Sci-Tech, a leading caviar company in Quzhou, has cultivated over 1 million sturgeons for caviar production since its establishment in 2003 by leveraging technologies.
"Our company has achieved complete automation in sturgeon breeding and production, such as automatic control of water flow, oxygen, feeding, and self-alert regarding an emergency. It took two staff members eight hours to feed the fish in 180 fishing ponds before we could digitalize our control system and feeding methods. Now that process requires only 1 person, and it takes them 30 minutes to get the job done," said Guo Cheng, a researcher from Xunlong Sci-Tech.
The local caviar industry chain has brought over 1,500 jobs to local residents, covering aquaculture, catering, tourism, and more, bringing 7 million U.S. dollars' income to farmers and fisheries in 2023.
Grapefruits, caviars bring momentum for rural development in Zhejiang
