Rice-shrimp co-cropping achieves one rice harvest and two shrimp harvests, increasing each household's income by 3000 yuan

Original title: Rice fields "raise" crayfish

Nan County raises crayfish in 5.7 mu of rice fields, with annual comprehensive output value reaching 500 million yuan

Crayfish Elite Cooperative breeding base in Xiantai Village, Sanxianhu Town, Nan County (Source: Rednet)

Today, in front of the Crayfish Elite Cooperative in Xiantai Village, Sanxianhu Town, Nan County, more than 200 shrimp baskets for shipping crayfish were lined up in a row, forming a half-person-high white basket wall. Cao Zhengqi, chairman of the cooperative, said: "Our cooperative has more than 500 shrimp farmers, raising shrimp in more than 4300 mu of rice fields. Today's shipment of finished shrimp alone is 5000-plus kg."

It is understood that Nan County promotes the "shrimp-rice symbiosis" farming model, and "one rice harvest and two shrimp harvests" has become a new local specialty agricultural industry. Last year, the county's rice fields for raising crayfish totaled 5.7 mu, producing 1 ton of crayfish in total, with a comprehensive farming output value of 500 million yuan, and each farming household's income increased by 3000 yuan on average.

Nan County is located in the hinterland of Dongting Lake and is suitable for crayfish farming. Previously, many farmers were accustomed to planting one rice crop, and farmland was left abandoned and idle in winter and spring. In the past two years, Nan County has actively promoted the "shrimp-rice symbiosis" farming model, that is, raising crayfish in one-crop rice fields. The shrimp "weed, loosen soil, and fertilize" for the rice, while the rice "provides feed, shade, and protection from harm" for the shrimp. With this combination of farming and cultivation, during the growth of crayfish, the rice fields need no chemical fertilizers or pesticides, producing ecological, high-quality crayfish and rice.

To promote "shrimp-rice symbiosis", Nan County organized more than 30 large-scale training sessions and distributed tens of thousands of related technical materials. It also established crayfish seedling selection and breeding bases, crayfish experimental demonstration bases, and more. Each year it also invests more than 10 million yuan for village and group road construction and ditch and channel dredging projects, actively guides land transfer, develops related professional cooperatives, and organizes the establishment of a crayfish farming association. At the same time, using the province's 1 million yuan targeted poverty alleviation project funds, it supports 400 impoverished households countywide in developing "shrimp-rice symbiosis". This year, the county established 25 crayfish cooperatives and developed more than 4000 specialized households.

The crayfish produced by "shrimp-rice symbiosis" are in short supply. Merchants coming to Nan County to buy crayfish wait in line, and the rice also sells for a good price. Chen Mingliang, president of the Nan County Mingkang Crayfish Farming Association and chairman of Liangjingyuan Ecological Agriculture Company, said that the "ecological rice" produced in "shrimp-rice symbiosis" rice fields has already sold for as much as 60 yuan per kg on the market. (Correspondent Hu Jiangen, Reporter Yang Jun)