Innovation in Comprehensive Agricultural Development Releases a Fission Effect
Greenery covers the hillsides, and gold lies hidden in the green fields. Standing at Baixiantuo, the highest point of the Hulu Valley Modern Agricultural Industrial Park in Pingshan County, Hebei Province (hereinafter referred to as Hulu Valley Industrial Park), and looking out, the desolation that once filled the eye is gone, the rocks that once covered the mountain have vanished, and the chaos that once overwhelmed the view has disappeared. In their place are layered terraced fields flowing like clouds and water, winding mountain roads extending in all directions, and ten thousand mu of high-quality walnut orchards lush and verdant……
The mountain is still the same mountain, the land is still the same land, and the people are still the same people. What changed the stereotype of barren hills and slopes in Pingshan County? The developers of Hulu Valley Industrial Park, carrying the dream of changing their hometown's impoverished appearance, through large-scale transfer of land management rights and high-standard planning, development and construction, let the energy of comprehensive agricultural development innovation produce a “fission” effect, bringing revolutionary changes to mountain agriculture. The formerly “heaven-dependent” thin slope land has become high-yield irrigated land, and large areas of barren hills and slopes have become high-yield modern agricultural industrial parks. A path combining ecological management of thin slope land in the Taihang Mountain area with the development of modern three-dimensional ecological circular agriculture is clearly visible.
Zhou Benshun, Secretary of the Hebei Provincial Party Committee, said during a survey at Hulu Valley Industrial Park: “Agricultural parks are the ‘treasure bowl’ for farmers to get rich. Agriculture is a ‘great gold mine.’ It is not like industrial mines, which have a time of exhaustion and being dug out. This ‘mine’ of agriculture is never exhausted. The development of Hulu Valley Agricultural Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. has strengthened everyone's confidence in this.”
The Combination of Multiple Factors Gives Rise to the Efficiency of Comprehensive Agricultural Development——
The transfer of land management rights integrates scattered barren hill and slope resources, large-scale development and operation transform the agricultural growth model toward intensification, and scientific overall planning and the injection of technology achieve an efficient leap from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture
“Our entire village has only 931 mu of cultivated land, just over 1 mu per person, yet it is divided into 8 categories based on distance, fertility and other factors. That is to say, every household is allocated 8 plots of land by category. This is indeed very fair and just, but it has had an enormous impact on farming efficiency and profitability.” Recalling the situation at the time, Jiao Shezeng, Party branch secretary of Xiayu Village, Wangpo Township, Pingshan County, wore a look of helplessness.
Wangpo Township is located in the low-mountain gneiss area of the Taihang Mountains, with a large area of barren hills and slopes, but thin soil over thick rock makes it unsuitable for farming. For a long time, the right to use mountain land has basically belonged to individual farmer households. One hillside was divided among many households, and farmers felt it was not worth developing or lacked the ability to develop it. Because land output was limited, local farmers lived in relative poverty, and a large amount of labor left to work elsewhere.
Fragmented land, barren soil, more mountains than arable land…… These problems, which seemed impossible to solve and long plagued the farmers of Wangpo Township in their pursuit of development and prosperity, were completely resolved after Hulu Valley Company's large-scale land reclamation and park construction. Small plots became large plots, barren hills and slopes became layered terraces, farmers became family farm proprietors, and the traditional small-scale peasant economy became a modern high-tech agricultural industrial park. All these changes stem from innovation in the agricultural management system: led by a leading enterprise, with the participation of local farmers and various new types of agricultural management entities, and supported by the government. This new type of agricultural management system has brought earth-shaking changes to agriculture in the old revolutionary base area of Pingshan.
Liu Haitao, the person in charge of Hulu Valley Industrial Park and chairman of Pingshan County Hulu Valley Agricultural Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd., is a farmer's son born and raised locally, and has always been accumulating energy to change his hometown's appearance. After making money working elsewhere, he studied the modern agricultural management models of dozens of developed countries. “In 2007, I invested 10 million yuan to establish ‘Pingshan County Hulu Valley Agricultural Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd.,’ and transferred 30,000 mu of barren hills and slopes in my hometown for development.”
Integration of land resources is an important prerequisite for large-scale production. However, land is the lifeblood of farmers. Leaving it idle and barren is fine, but if you want to take land from farmers' hands, farmers will not easily agree.
On this point, Liu Haitao felt deeply: “On the issue of land transfer, the company would rather take a small loss than let the villagers suffer a loss. The main purpose of the company's land transfer is to make the villagers wealthy, not to compete with them for profit!”
In order to effectively integrate the land and mountain resources in farmers' hands, the company adopted forms such as “shares,” “rental,” “purchase” and “exchange” according to local conditions to integrate land resources, fully respecting farmers' wishes and safeguarding farmers' interests.
Liu Jianzhong, general manager of Hulu Valley Agricultural Science and Technology Development Company, explained that “shares” means taking shares. For barren hills and slopes allocated to households or contracted by large households, they are invited to contribute land as shares, realizing dividend distribution by share under a minimum guarantee. “Rental” means leasing. For some gully and fork land in the park, rent is paid to the landowner at 600 yuan to 1,200 yuan per mu according to quality. “Purchase” means buying. For barren hills currently operated collectively, after assessment and negotiation, the company purchases the right of use. “Exchange” means swapping. For farmers who insist on farming their own land and neither take shares nor transfer it, after negotiation, their land within the project area is exchanged for land outside the project area in a location with convenient transportation and close to the village.
Through these flexible and practical measures, Hulu Valley Industrial Park obtained the right to use 50,000 mu of barren hills and slopes across 9 villages, laying a solid foundation for large-scale development and utilization of mountain land.
Liu Mingfang, a 61-year-old villager from Xiayu Village, two years ago contributed his contracted 250 mu of barren hill land as shares to Hulu Valley Modern Agricultural Industrial Park, and after unified development by the company, walnut trees were planted. “In the 5 years before the walnuts reach full bearing age, the company gives me 50,000 yuan a year. After they reach full bearing age, profits are shared annually, with me taking three and the company taking seven, with a guaranteed minimum of 100,000 yuan per year.” Liu Mingfang said he never expected that this barren hill, contracted for 180 yuan back then, would now become a “golden mountain.”
“Respecting farmers' wishes and safeguarding farmers' interests” is not just an empty phrase. Liu Jianzhong said: “In every step of land transfer, the company must effectively protect farmers' interests. Before transfer, through the township (town) government and each village's Party branch secretary and village committee director, according to each village's specific circumstances and villagers' wishes, an agreement is reached after full consultation. During transfer, procedures are standardized, a unified and standardized transfer contract template is formulated, the form, quantity, duration, conditions and both parties' rights, obligations and legal responsibilities are clearly defined, and long-term contracts are signed.
The most intuitive impression Hulu Valley Industrial Park gives people is its large scale. Everyone who sees Hulu Valley Industrial Park for the first time is stunned by its scale! Liu Haitao said that to change the hometown's appearance, large-scale development is necessary; small-scale efforts cannot make much difference. Large-scale development not only turned small plots into large plots and vast barren hills and slopes into spectacular layered terraces, but also created conditions for realizing the transformation from the traditional small-scale peasant economy to large-scale, intensive modern agriculture.
“Why do I make large investments and adopt advanced technology? This is actually to make up for the two shortcomings of China's rural economic development: capital and technology. I believe that as long as these two shortcomings are addressed, rural land resources and human resources will be activated, the rural economy will certainly develop rapidly, and the company will certainly make money.” Liu Haitao has his own views on the analysis of the rural economic situation.
In order to achieve a high starting point and avoid blind development, the company spent more than 1 million yuan to hire institutions such as the Planning and Design Institute of Hebei Agricultural University and the Planning and Design Institute of Yanshan University to compile a detailed development plan for the park. They also hired Li Baoguo, a nationally renowned walnut technology expert and professor at Hebei Agricultural University, as chief technical adviser, and through Li Baoguo's connection, designated the company's walnut base as a teaching and research base of Hebei Agricultural University. In addition, they established friendly cooperative relations with the Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences. Wang Huijun, president of the academy, led relevant experts to Hulu Valley many times for technical guidance and designated the park as the academy's comprehensive experimental base.
“The process of modern agricultural development is the process of continuously injecting advanced technology. To pursue modern agriculture, the starting point must be high.” Liu Haitao said. Under the guidance and assistance of scientific research institutions, while reforming production relations, Hulu Valley Industrial Park achieved high-level planning, high-standard design and high-tech support, carried out mountain terracing and land reclamation on a grand scale and with high standards, and used technology to transform agriculture, deeply imprinting this barren mountain with the mark of a “modern agricultural park.”
“Why are barren hills and slopes barren? There are mainly two reasons: first, the soil layer is thin, and second, there is drought and a lack of water. To solve these two problems, under the guidance of experts, the company built ‘slope-separated trench-style terraces,’ which means preserving the original slope surface and, on that basis, digging horizontal trenches 1.5 meters deep and 1 to 2 meters wide, filling the trenches entirely with good weathered topsoil, using chicken manure as base fertilizer, and adding complete water conservancy facilities, so that basically whatever is planted will grow.” introduced Liang Hongxiao, the company's technical director.
Under the guidance of researchers, the water conservancy supporting facilities of Hulu Valley Industrial Park also form their own system. The ponds and dams in the industrial park are configured by terrain and zone, pumping stations are paired with water storage tanks, and water delivery pipes extend to the roots of every sapling. “The irrigation water source of the park also has ‘double insurance.’ When the water in the ponds and dams is used up, there are backup machine wells. Under every walnut tree there is a thin black water pipe. This irrigation method of small-pipe root injection saves both water and labor.” Liang Hongxiao said.
Why choose thin-shelled walnuts as the main planting tree species? Li Baoguo, who provides technical consultation here, told the reporter that on one hand, walnuts fetch a high market price, and Hebei Agricultural University has technical advantages in this area and can provide technical support throughout the process. On the other hand, walnuts can be intercropped with coarse grains, alfalfa and medicinal herbs, thereby fully utilizing the land and increasing output. In addition, planting alfalfa along the edges of terraces can prevent soil erosion, improve the soil, and provide high-quality forage for livestock raising. The planting structure of Hulu Valley Industrial Park is scientific and reasonable, ensuring the park's high output. This is the role played by science and technology.
Multi-party Interest Linkages Bring Harmonious Win-Win for Government, Farmers and Enterprises——
The “big park, small proprietors” operating model has filled the pockets of villagers participating in the industrial park's management; enterprise investment and government support have achieved effective alignment between industrial and commercial capital and government input, producing the effect of “the government gains greenery, farmers increase income, and enterprises make profits”
“I manage a family farm in the industrial park, taking care of trees, raising chickens and tending flowers. I can earn 40,000 to 50,000 yuan a year, without delaying housework or my own farm work.” Xiong Simei, a villager from Xiayu Village, spoke proudly of her income in the park.
Xiong Simei calculated an account for the reporter: the farm she is responsible for managing has a total of 2,000 walnut trees and 1,800 chickens. The management fee for one tree per year is 14 yuan, so 2,000 trees bring 28,000 yuan in management fees per year. The management fee for each chicken per year is 1.1 yuan, so 1,800 chickens bring 1,980 yuan in management fees per year. In addition, she can do some odd jobs in the park, earning more than 40,000 yuan a year.
Like Xiong Simei, there are more than 130 small family proprietors in Hulu Valley Industrial Park, with annual management fees and wage income all between 30,000 and 50,000 yuan.
This management model is an innovation of Hulu Valley Industrial Park. After the completion of Hulu Valley Industrial Park, it faced a problem: how to achieve both unified standard management of the park and stimulate farmers' enthusiasm? In response to this problem, Hulu Valley Company designed a unique “big park, small proprietors” management model.
Liu Jianzhong introduced that the company divided the park into family farms of 50 mu per unit and contracted the family farms to one farmer household, requiring the contracting household to manage according to the company's unified requirements and standards. The company pays the contracting household according to the management and output of each family farm.