Exploration of a Full-Chain Production and Operation Model for "Worry-Free Grain"

Liu Yingwen, who received his master's degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2004, is a native of Jianli County, Hubei Province, and had long worked as a "white-collar" professional in industrial project planning in a major city. In 2012, out of a simple desire to give back to his fellow villagers, Liu Yingwen abandoned industry for agriculture and returned to his hometown to start a business growing rice. Over the past few years, he has carried out full-mechanized rice cultivation in his hometown using industrial-style production methods, and took the lead in establishing the Hubei Liangnonggu Cooperative Union.

Through his farming practice in recent years, Liu Yingwen found that mobilizing the elements needed for grain growing - such as funds, talent, agricultural inputs and raw materials, agronomic techniques, and mechanized production tools - was not particularly difficult, but food security, especially quality and safety, had not been well solved.

In the process of rice cultivation and processing, problems such as highly fragmented farmland, highly dispersed grain farmers, and highly mixed collection, storage, and processing cannot be avoided. What variety do grain farmers plant? How do they plant it? When do they plant it? In what manner do they plant it? These are entirely free planting decisions made independently by the grain farmers themselves. As a result, grain varieties are diverse, agricultural inputs are chosen at will, and planting management is disorderly. If a problem arises at any stage of grain production, such as quality labeling or responsibility traceability, it cannot be guaranteed that the entire process is "worry-free grain" production.

Liu Yingwen hopes to fully implement a new "worry-free grain" operation model starting from the source. Jianli is a major national rice county, and at the current stage it has already formed a considerable number of large grain-growing households, family farms, and farmers' professional cooperatives. Relying on some grain-farming entities operating more than 100 mu of farmland, Liu Yingwen has explored a localized "worry-free grain" production and operation model. At present, there is a 150-mu core demonstration area and a 1,125-mu demonstration planting base. In addition to hybrid rice, he has also carried out rice-shrimp co-cropping, and specialty plantings such as ratoon rice, black indica rice, wild rice, and conventional high-quality rice.

Starting from breaking down grain procurement orders, the base tracks and labels the entire process of rice production and cultivation through unified grain planting varieties, unified joint procurement and separate supply of agricultural inputs, and unified technical guidance for planting. At the same time, it implements "no-ground-contact" harvesting and drying of grain, using 50 tons of grain produced from 100 mu as an independent separated collection, storage, and processing batch, in order to preserve the earlier tracking labels.

The entire "worry-free grain" production process from field to table strictly implements the three principles of "qualified, compliant, and traceable." That is, all raw materials used in grain planting and production must meet or exceed national standards. It ensures that the agronomy, processes, and management procedures adopted in grain planting and production all comply with the relevant regulations of the state, industry, and enterprises. The quality responsibilities of all actors participating in grain production (including agricultural input suppliers, grain farmers, storage and processing operators, grain distributors, etc.) are labeled, and these labels are always preserved and can be traced and held accountable.

Liu Yingwen's grain-growing practice proves that this model of breaking down grain orders and operating with rice labeling successfully solves the "two difficulties" faced by grain farmers: difficulty in buying agricultural inputs and difficulty in selling grain. It also forms a stable supply of grain production in specific varieties with stable quantity and quality, ultimately providing "worry-free grain" for the table.

Liu Yingwen believes that letting consumers see "worry-free grain" production with their own eyes is more effective than the producers saying it 100 times themselves. Today's internet big data and QR code scanning technology can conveniently allow consumers to clearly "see" records of key segments in each part of the production process.

Liu Yingwen said that he has now joined forces with the leading agricultural industrialization enterprise "Laonongmin" Company to sell "worry-free grain" products through large-scale online and offline orders, and hopes that the high quality of agricultural products can be fully reflected in high prices.

Liu Yingwen said that this year he will continue to truly implement the "worry-free grain" operation model in the direction expected by consumers. After all, the ultimate recognition of consumers is the sign that the new "worry-free grain" operation model has truly taken root in people's hearts.