When the spring tide surges, all things flourish. During this year's sessions of National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, agriculture once again became a hot topic. Subjects such as new agricultural productivity and the "growth" of local specialties into large industries attracted the attention and heated discussions of representatives and delegates.

As a characteristic industry that enriches local people and promotes rural revitalization in Yandu District, strawberry is growing vigorously at an unstoppable momentum. Each strawberry plant carries unlimited possibilities for the development of Yandu agriculture. In recent years, Yandu District has taken the successful registration of the national geographical indication certification trademark of "Yandu Strawberry" as an opportunity to vigorously develop modern agriculture and upgrade the industrial structure from a "small specialty" to a "big industry" for rural revitalization.

In recent years, by relying on its own resource endowments, Yandu District has helped farmers to increase their wealth through measures like scientific planning, technological empowerment, and precise policy implementation, embarking on a path of modern agricultural revitalization with local characteristics. Last year, the total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, sideline production, and fishery in Yandu District stood at 10.47 billion yuan, with the added value reaching 6.76 billion yuan. Yandu is a national base for commercial grain production, a major county for vegetable industry, and the hometown of Chinese river crabs. It is the only county in Yancheng City that has won the first place in Jiangsu's rural revitalization performance assessment for four consecutive years. It has become a national key county for leisure agriculture and was selected into the first batch of national rural revitalization demonstration counties.

Coordinated Development of Modern Agriculture through

Scientific Layout

The development of the strawberry planting industry is an effective measure when Yandu District carefully plans the layout of modern agriculture and accelerates the development of modern agriculture. In recent years, Yandu District has introduced an array of measures to cultivate and expand advantageous and characteristic agricultural industries, with scientific plans for the long term, and meticulous production of a series of "local specialties". The carefully created "The Delicious City·Yandu", a regional public brand of agricultural products, has become well-known in the Yangtze River Delta.

Yandu District focuses on high-quality and efficient modern agriculture, and concentrates on the construction of "one park, two belts and four bases", with 11 characteristic agricultural parks scattered across the district. Quality rice, green fruits and vegetables, selected flowers, and ecological aquatic products together constitute a prosperous picture of the four major industries. Among them, the output value of the city’s four “champions” - strawberries, grapes, tomatoes and hairy crabs - exceeded 3.5 billion yuan. Ten agricultural products, including "Dazonghu Hairy Crabs", "Longgang Chili Pears" and "Shangzhuang Tomatoes", have successfully won national geographical indication certification trademarks. The proportion of green and high-quality agricultural products in Yandu accounts for nearly 74%, which has greatly enhanced the influence and overall competitiveness of the district's agricultural product brands.

Today, on the vast land of Yandu, a characteristic agricultural industry layout of "leisure agricultural products in the east, fruits and vegetables in the central area, and aquatic products in the west" has gradually taken shape. The advantages of various areas complement each other, turning a new chapter in the coordinated development of modern agriculture.

Most of the world-famous "Yandu Strawberries" come from the eastern region of Yandu. Relying on its suburban location close to the downtown Yancheng, the eastern region focuses on the fields of agricultural tourism, leisure activities, and food processing. The pastoral scenery and the vibrant city here supplement each other, drawing urban residents in droves. Unique leisure farms and agricultural experience parks, where tourists can enjoy the fun of picking and deeply experience the simplicity and tranquility of rural life, have sprung up. At the same time, the food processing industry has flourished, transforming local fresh and high-quality agricultural products into a wide range of specialty foods, expanding the added value of agricultural products.

The "Shangzhuang tomatoes" are sweet, juicy and full of childhood flavor. The new rice and wheat varieties such as "Yancheng-sinica rice", "Yancheng-glutinous rice," and "Yancehng-wheat" independently bred by the local agricultural science institute are all outstanding representatives of the central area. Walking here, you will see modern fruit and vegetable greenhouses arranged in an orderly manner, internally equipped with advanced temperature control and irrigation systems to accurately meet the needs of crop growth. From seed selection and seedling raising to field management and then to harvesting and storage, every link is strictly controlled in order to provide the best quality rice and vegetable products.

"Dazong Lake hairy crabs are not only delicious and nutritious but are also considered the 'premium crab' in the minds of consumers," said Chen Changrong, a major local hairy crab breeder. Relying on the lucid high-quality water source of Dazong Lake and scientific breeding, "Dazong Lake Hairy Crabs" has become the only national agricultural boutique brand in aquatic products in Jiangsu. Relying on its unique advantages in water resource , the western region of Yandu has cultivated special aquatic products such as hairy crabs and shrimps, as well as aquatic vegetables such as water celery, lotus root, and water chestnuts, which are very popular among consumers. Yandu is becoming the "kitchen for ecological fish and rice", the "garden for fresh fruit and vegetable" and the "leisure and health resort" for citizens in the Yangtze River Delta.

Empowered by Science and Technology, Modern

Agriculture Takes Off

Early in the morning on March 5, the first ray of sunlight had not yet completely dispelled the mist. In the Yandu Modern Agricultural Industry Demonstration Park, a 15-minute drive from the downtown area, staff member Chen Haijuan and her colleagues were busy.

In the strawberry packaging area, staff members were running around, their hands never stopping. Brightly colored and fragrant strawberries were neatly stacked in boxes. Though an accountant she is, Chen Haijuan is now also in the busy shipping team. With the arrival of International Women's Day, orders flooded in. As she skillfully sealed the boxes, she said, "Now there are team-building activities one after another. Orders are too many to handle. Everyone is very busy, but I am very happy deep in my heart."

The reporter stepped into the smart greenhouse of the demonstration garden---a fantasy world of modern agricultural technology. The strawberries are grown using elevated soil-less cultivation technology, growing neatly and orderly on two-story racks, forming a spectacular "strawberry waterfall". These racks are covered with a substrate mixed in proportion, which is like a nutrient-rich "sponge mattress", firmly supporting the strawberry roots. It is reported that high-end facilities such as the 18-meter super-large solar greenhouse for strawberries account for more than 30% of the total area. The agricultural Internet of Things technology in the greenhouse serves as the sensitive nerve endings, sensing subtle changes in temperature, humidity, light intensity, etc. in all directions.

"Our technical team worked together with local institutes to jointly develop a new variety 'Yancheng Strawberry I' in 2023, which matures early with strong adaptability and a good yield, thus laying a solid foundation for increasing strawberry production and farmers’ income." Cai Weijian, an associate researcher at the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences who has been worked in Yandu for many years, said that the "Yancheng Strawberry I" has a high yield and large fruit. The weight of a single fruit is generally more than 30 grams, and the largest ones can reach more than 100 grams, with a crisp and sweet taste. The average yield per mu(1/16 hectare) is 3,000 kilograms, and this year it is expected to exceed 3,500 kilograms.

Thanks to the unremitting efforts of scientific and technological personnel, Yandu Modern Seed Industry has gained a place in the country. In recent years, focusing on joint research on key core technologies in the seed industry, the Yandu Institute of Agricultural Science has promoted new varieties, technologies, and products through independent breeding and cooperative research and development with relevant universities and research institutions. It has accelerated the transformation of the latest results, striving to create a transformation cluster at the national level for scientific research results in the seed industry.

At present, Yandu has transformed a total of 32 research results, among which the super rice "Nanjing 5718" and "Yanjing No. 15" were recognized as national super rice by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2021. The planting area promoted in the province for "Nanjing 5718" has reached 7 million mu, having increased farmers' income by more than 100 million yuan cumulatively. New wheat varieties such as "Nongmai 88" and "Yanmai No. 1" have been promoted in the province with a planting area of 5 million mu, accounting for 20% of the total wheat planting area in Jiangsu, making Yandu's due contribution to ensuring national food security.

Relying on the power of scientific and technological innovation, Yandu has accelerated the development of new agricultural productivity. The participation rate in industry, academia, and research cooperation among agricultural enterprises has reached 75%. Industrial parks completed include two provincial-level agricultural science and technology parks and five municipal-level agricultural science and technology parks. Yandu has been rated as a national advanced county in the development of digital agriculture and rural areas and was selected as a pilot county for digital villages in Jiangsu Province.

Benefiting Farmers and Increasing their Income, Modern

 Agriculture Helps Rural Revitalization

If we want to revitalize rural areas, the key is to choose industries that can enrich local people according to regional conditions. In recent years, Yandu District has actively explored experience in promoting common prosperity and has continued to work hard to enhance the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas and the integrated development of urban and rural areas, blazing a new trail for small strawberries to drive big industries, so to advance the development of modern agriculture and rural revitalization.

Strawberry is a characteristic industry that enriches the people in Yandu. The current scale stands at 13,000 mu, with an annual output value of over 1 billion yuan, the highest in the entire city of Yancheng. Yandu's strawberry industry receives 1.2 million tourists annually and generates direct income of 200 million yuan. The exterior appearance of Xinmin Village, the main base of strawberry cultivation, has undergone tremendous changes, with farmers' income increasing.

"There are more than 100 farmers in our village who have independently developed 'one household, one greenhouse'. The total strawberry planting area in the village reaches 3,200 mu, with an average net income of 30,000 yuan per mu and an average net income of more than 200,000 yuan per household. The small strawberry has become the 'fruit of wealth' for farmers to increase their income. "To lead farmers, we must first show them how to do it. Since 2008, village officials have taken the lead in planting greenhouse strawberries in the whole village, attracting more and more villagers to join in strawberry planting," said DONG Zhaofu, secretary of the CPC Party Committee of Xinmin Village.

The Yandu strawberry industry is not only an agricultural industry, but also a model of cultural and tourism integration. As a response to the "agriculture + tourism" trend, the Yandu District Government leverages the locational advantages of Yancheng's main urban area for more creative development, with the introduction of more selected routes, expanding functions such as leisure picking, parent-child experiences, and science education, thus creating a new urban leisure agriculture experience. All these have increased farmers' income with the entire modern agricultural industry chain. Yandu has successively become a national demonstration county for leisure agriculture and rural tourism, a national key county for leisure agriculture, and a leisure agriculture boutique area in Jiangsu Province. Yangshi Village and Yangxu Village have been rated as the most beautiful leisure villages in China.

In Yangshi Village, Guomeng Town, the family farm founded by farmer Pan Guosheng is well-known. In the strawberry garden, Pan Guosheng ate strawberries he just picked while telling his story of how he got rich. "My family farm covers an area of 200 mu, and I mainly grow strawberries and grapes." Pan Guosheng said that he insisted on taking the boutique route, targeting the mid- to high-end customer market, "growing well, selling well", and helping more villagers find jobs at their doorsteps. In Yandu, there are nearly a thousand family farms like Pan Guosheng's, which help farmers increase their income while sharing profit.

In addition to developing characteristic industries, Yandu District has also promoted agricultural efficiency and increased farmers' income by introducing leading enterprises and cultivating new agricultural business entities. As the only comprehensive food processing industrial park in the city, Yandu Future Food Industrial Park has housed many companies such as Xinsiyuan Food, Taosheng Health Food, and Xinnongken CNKonjac. It helps farmers to increase their income and become rich through employment, guaranteed dividends, and shareholding cooperation. At present, the industrial park is making every effort to build an innovative and intelligent manufacturing highland for future food science and technology in the Yangtze River Delta region.

On the road to rural revitalization, Yandu strives to be in the forefront and take the lead, marching steadily on the new journey of agricultural modernization. Yandu has demonstrated with practical actions the strong driving force of industrial prosperity on rural revitalization, thus painting a new picture of a new era for the land of plenty with strong agriculture, beautiful rural areas and rich farmers.

编辑：刘志红 赵新立 王心怡