Large-scale farming brings good returns, and farmers' income growth is guaranteed

Time: May 26

Location: Tangzhuang Township, Sheqi County

"The wheat here ripens a bit later; it will be another four or five days." In May, across the land of Sheqi, a faint wheat fragrance drifts over the fields. At Shengkang Family Farm in Xingzhuang Village, Tangzhuang Township, farm manager Qi Qiuyang is busy preparing for the wheat harvest.

Qi Qiuyang, 42 this year, once ran an automobile transport business elsewhere. During a trip back home, he found that stretches of fertile land had been left fallow by his fellow villagers, so he decided to return to the village, contract land and start a farm. Over more than 3 years, he has invested a cumulative total of over 20 million yuan, transferring and entrusting over 9,000 mu of land for growing crops such as wheat and corn.

Walking into Shengkang Family Farm, more than 50 pieces of agricultural machinery are lined up in the garage. Qi Qiuyang, who loves cutting-edge technology, bought the only helicopter in the county and several drones for "aerial plant protection." On the farm's 9,000 mu of land, from sowing, plant protection to harvesting, fully mechanized management is in place, and grain crops have increased yields by 20% compared with before.

"Unified mechanized management saves labor costs. The cost per mu is only half of what it used to be. The larger the scale, the more obvious the returns," Qi Qiuyang said.

To increase grain-growing profits, Qi Qiuyang also plans to "transform" the farm, setting aside 2,200 mu of land to grow strong-gluten wheat for direct supply to Henan Niansi Food Company. He did the math: growing strong-gluten wheat has high requirements for weeding and pesticides, adding more than 50 yuan in management costs per mu; when the manufacturer purchases it, the price rises by 0.05 yuan per jin, and by his calculation, income and expenditure basically break even. In the long run, however, once trial planting succeeds, it will increase income by 330,000 yuan compared with before.

The farm radiates to the surrounding 4 villages of Jigang, Gangli, Mazhuang and Guanying, involving 444 poor households and 1,617 people. Since the poverty alleviation work began, the local government approached Qi Qiuyang, hoping he would play a backbone role, and he immediately agreed to help: "One person getting rich doesn't count as being rich; only when you lead your fellow villagers to wealth is it truly wealth."

In Sheqi County, there are many returning entrepreneurs like Qi Qiuyang. They have transferred and entrusted 320,000 mu of land, founded more than 1,800 agricultural operating entities, provided 13,000 jobs, helped advance poverty alleviation and energized the local economy. (Zhang Song)