Pingnan to develop vegetable industry

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2013-04-23

Pingnan county has devised favorable policies to help develop local vegetable farms and increase farmer income.

The county made plans in 2011 to build model villages that have competitive agricultural industries, capable farmers and famous brands. To that end, the county has provided funding and technical support. Farmers can receive special subsidies and preferential borrowing rates. The county also conducts professional training for farmers.

Lingxia is one of the villages to benefit from the program. Due to its high altitude and unpolluted natural environment, Lingxia township of Pingnan has set a goal to build the top vegetable base in Fujian province. In 2012, the township introduced a specialized agricultural enterprise to cooperate with local farmers to build a number of green vegetable brands. Farmers saw their income increase by 2,700 yuan ($430) per person last year.

Thanks to the agriculture-supporting policies, farmer income in Pingnan increased by 16.6 percent year-on-year in 2012 to reach 8,283 yuan. High-altitude vegetable acreage reached 1 hectare, and a number of local agricultural products have been certified as “green products.”

Edited by Lin Hong, Chen Chen and Michael Thai