Current location:International Inklings news portal > style
Innovating Rice Planting with Passion
International Inklings news portal2024-05-21 21:23:51【style】7People have gathered around
IntroductionContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom
- Home
- News
- People
- In-depth
- ACWF
Innovating Rice Planting with Passion
September 22, 2023
When you see Zhu Shasha for the first time, you may not imagine this young, comely woman, with a ponytail, is a professional farmer who is skilled at planting rice. In 2016, Zhu, then 23, quit her job as a kindergarten teacher to begin farming in Shuguang, a village in Xiaoshan, a district in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province.
During the past seven years, she has grown into a "new farmer," who has mastered an advanced production mode, and advanced agricultural technologies. Now, she is head of an agricultural cooperative, and she contracts more than 2,000 mu(133.33 hectares) of farmland in Shuguang Village.
Become a 'New Farmer'
Zhu's parents began contracting farmland in Shuguang nearly 17 years ago. Working the land became tiring for them as they grew older. So, in 2016, Zhu took over her family's contracted farmland, which covered nearly 200 mu(13.33 hectares), to take the load off her parents. Since then, she has studied rice-planting techniques, to use scientific methods to increase rice production, and to develop new rice varieties.
Zhu participated in many training sessions involving agricultural mechanization and rice planting and production. She used what she learned to increase rice production, and she contracted more land to plant rice. In 2019, the rice yield reached 900 kilograms permu, and her farm set a rice-yield record in Xiaoshan District. Throughout the years, she has won several district-level prizes for her highly productive crops.
"Even though I grew up in the village, I seldom did farm work before. At the beginning, it was difficult for me to work in the field, when I learned planting techniques from agricultural experts … As time went on, I grew to deeply love the farmland, and I now am full of passion for my job," says Zhu.
Every morning, early, Zhu inspects the land, to monitor growth of the crops, apply fertilizer, and/or control pests and crop diseases. She often works late. "In the past, I liked wearing beautiful skirts and dresses. Now, I only wear trousers that are convenient for farm work. However, I feel accomplished when I am able to use what I have learned to troubleshoot problems with the agricultural machines. It is all worth it," Zhu says.
She has witnessed the great changes that have taken place in the local agriculture sector. "The mechanization level of farm work has increased. We have unmanned crop-protection machines, unmanned rice transplanters and other unmanned farm machines. My parents never thought that one day machines would help farmers do farm work. In the past, they transplanted rice seedlings and applied fertilizer with their hands. Now, we control unmanned aerial vehicles to plant seedlings and apply fertilizer with remote control," says Zhu. "I feel happy when I see my family farm is getting better and better. We, 'new farmers', should do what we can to promote the development of modern agriculture, so every farmer in the country will have great expectations for the future of farming."
On Zhu's farm, the use of new agricultural technologies and machines has achieved good results. Compared with 10 years ago, her rice yield per muhas increased by about 200 kilograms. Other farmers in the village sing her praises as a young, large-scale grain producer.
'New' Agriculture
Agricultural mechanization has helped countless farmers harvest their rice. Six years ago, a low-tech harvester could only harvest 20 mu(1.33 hectares) per day. Now, a more-advanced harvester (with modern technology) can harvest about 50mu(3.33 hectares) of land per day. "The harvest efficiency has more than doubled. The environment of the harvester cab has also been greatly improved. The cab is installed with air conditioning, which makes the driver feel more comfortable," Zhu says.
She provides various services, including grain and oil-crop planting, transplanting rice by machine, crop protection and tractor ploughing, to farmers in surrounding villages. Zhu has helped more than 20 villagers increase their annual output by 60 kilograms per mu.
In the future, Zhu will make more efforts to expand the sales channel of her high-quality rice, and to use more "intelligent" agricultural machines to improve production efficiency.
Zhu has three goals — to grow delicious, organic rice, develop her own brand, and increase the area of contracted land to 3,000 mu(200 hectares). In 2022, she vacated 100 mu(6.67 hectares) of land, on which she tried to plant a new, high-quality rice variety. She reaped a bumper harvest, with an average yield of 500 kilograms per mu. The rice smells good, and it is soft and tender. She sold the rice through WeChat, China's major instant-messaging app. Many of her customers placed repeat orders for the high-quality rice.
"I hope more and more young people, who master advanced agricultural knowledge and technologies, will return to the countryside, start their own agriculture-related businesses, and contribute to the country's rural revitalization," says Zhu.
Photos Supplied by Interviewee
(Women of China English Monthly September 2023 issue)
32.3KPlease understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
Comments
Magazines
Projects
- 2023 Women Science and Technology Innovation Pioneer...
Photos
- People Enjoy Blooming Tulips in Jinan, East...
- Flowers Bloom Across China in Spring
Special Coverage
Address of this article:http://malawi.bahnsport.org/html-900b999032.html
Very good!(21)
Related articles
- David Cronenberg's new grief
- Rise of the childless couple: Opposite
- How Aussie brothers' dream birthday trip to remote Mexican beach turned to horror
- Royal Navy nuclear submarine officer who killed two young women with car is jailed for 10 years
- Iran helicopter crash: President Raisi, the supreme leader's protege, dies at 63
- I'm a vet and you should beware of these 4 garden plants that are harmful to dogs
- India says Canada yet to provide evidence of its involvement in the killing of a separatist leader
- I got top grades in my GCSEs
- Nuggets blow 20
- I'm a vet and here's how to keep your dog safe in warmer weather
Popular articles
Recommended
Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts leaves game against Braves with shoulder injury
Ministers vow to end civil service 'merry go round of mediocrity' by making it easier to sack under
I got top grades in my GCSEs
Iowa law allows police to arrest and deport migrants. Civil rights groups are suing
Queen Camilla reveals she's seen the first season of Bridgerton
EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Pals mourn the king of Centre Court cool, Tim Henman's father
Moaners rejoice! Ranting with your friends can actually make you happier, study finds
Apple's new iPad advert featuring musical instruments being crushed is SLAMMED by critics
Links
- Lawyer for former top lawmaker in Michigan House expects he will be charged
- Wisconsin Republicans ignore governor's call to spend $125M to combat so
- Glamorous Rosamund Pike sports a grungy ensemble and heavy winged eyeliner alongside Anya Taylor
- Presidium of China's annual legislative session holds 3rd meeting
- Malta's new president takes office
- Drama featuring cats in Forbidden City to tour nationwide
- Xi inspects Changsha in central China's Hunan Province
- China's science foundation funds 31 bln yuan in research in 2023
- Olivia Williams opens up on 'harrowing' experience as guest star on season four finale of Friends
- Xi inspects Changsha in central China's Hunan Province