Guiyang makes efforts in agricultural and rural development

The added value of the agricultural industry in Guiyang, capital city of Southwest China's Guizhou province, reached 12.7 billion yuan ($1.8 billion) in the first three quarters of 2019, a year-on-year increase of 5.3 percent. The per capita disposable income for rural residents reached 13,162 yuan, rising 10.3 percent, the highest growth rate in the past five years. 

In the first three quarters of the year, some 1.84 million rural residents gained access to safe drinking water. The housing conditions of 696 poverty-stricken households were improved and 13,564 impoverished people were lifted out of poverty. A total of 189 poverty alleviation projects worth 395 million yuan were implemented in poverty-stricken counties like Wangmo and Luodian.

In terms of adjusting the local agricultural structure, the city planted 20,800 mu (1,386.7 hectares) of economic crops with high output value, such as fruits, as well as Chinese medicinal herbs and tea, while decreasing 308,200 mu of corn, which has less economic benefits. In the first three quarters of the year, the city's output of vegetables and fruits reached 1.85 million tons and 260,000 tons respectively.

As for rural infrastructure, the city made improvements in rural concrete roads, express service points, 4G networks, sewage treatment, and rural sanitary toilets, greatly improving residents' quality of life. 

In addition, the city devoted itself to the "three transformations" reform, which involves turning resources into capital, capital into shares, and transforming residents into becoming investors. Approximately 358,000 farmers became shareholders of cooperatives or companies. 

In the future, the city will continue to work hard in ensuring the supply of pigs, deepening rural industrial reform, and improving the rural living environment.

Zhao Yandi contributed to this story