Family farms lead development of special agriculture

Ripe grapes at a plantation on one of Xifeng's family farms. [Photo/xifeng.gov.cn]

Xifeng county in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province, has been cultivating family farms, and developing a modern agricultural development model to help increase the incomes of farmers and inject new vitality into the local economy.

On Aug 19, villagers at a family farm in Hongyan village, Xiaozhaiba town were engaged in the picking, collecting and packaging of grapes, and about 100 boxes of grapes were about to be sent to Baiyun district.

According to Li Yuejin, owner of the family farm, the farm mainly grows grapes and kiwi fruit, with their annual outputs being six and seven metric tons, respectively.

"We have been operating this farm since 2019 and have been seeking to upgrade relevant infrastructure and growing technologies," said Li.

In addition, the family farm has recruited nearby villagers and facilitated the sustainable development of agricultural products. It was selected as one of  Guizhou's demonstration family farms in 2020.

The government also plays an essential role in the operation of the farm. Li said that all the grape trellis and steel wires at the plantation were provided by the government and farmers only needed to pay 30 percent of agricultural insurance expanses. "It used to be impossible for us to make money near home," Li added.

In recent years, Xifeng has been applying for financial assistance from the governments at the upper level and strengthening vocational training and technological services, and has fostered a group of family farms with an advanced management model and high efficiency. So far, the county has registered 464 family farms, six times more than in 2019.