New water channels are built in Wudang district, Guiyang. [Photo/WeChat account of Wudang district]
In recent years, Wudang district in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, has developed its original farmlands into large-scale, high-standard farmlands, increasing grain production and incomes.
Wudang district is in a karst area, with an arable area accounting for 53.1 percent of the total area. Due to insufficient infrastructure such as field roads and irrigation facilities, traditional farming methods heavily relied on manual labor, resulting in low agricultural incomes.
Since the district started constructing high-standard farmlands, cement roads, reservoirs, and irrigation projects have been extended into the fields, connecting them into unified plots. Agricultural machinery can directly access the fields, making grain cultivation less labor-intensive and convenient.
So far, with a fund of 3.81 million yuan ($526,064), Laping village in Wudang has built 712 mu (47.5 hectares) of high-standard farmland, a reservoir, 1,780 meters of new field roads, 450 meters of production roads, 40 access points for farming machinery and other supporting infrastructure.
The reservoir next to the concentrated and contiguous farmland will not only guarantee daily irrigation for food crops, but also help address water issues in the face of extreme weather conditions, playing a crucial role in ensuring high yields and increasing efficiency in food production.
The new infrastructure is expected to save more than 500 yuan per mu.
Wudang plans to complete the construction of 5,000 mu of high-standard farmland by the end of June, benefiting three townships and six villages.