Jiangxi Suichuan Water Chestnuts Help Farmers Get Rich
With purple-black skin, pure white flesh, and a crisp, sweet taste... the water chestnut, known since ancient times as the "underground snow pear," is gradually "paving" a new road to increased income and prosperity in Suichuan County through the promotion of improved varieties and methods.
It is now the cold winter season, but in the fields of Liangtou Village, Quanjiang Town, Suichuan County, there is a scene of bustling activity. Local large-scale water chestnut grower Xie Liuhua is leading more than 100 villagers in rushing to harvest the water chestnuts. With each swing of the hoe, turning over the fertile, thick soil, the water chestnuts "embedded" in the soil are revealed in nest-like arrangements. Picking up the plump, glossy water chestnuts is like newly obtaining one "underground treasure" after another. Digging with vigor on one side and picking with swift hands on the other, the joy of the harvest is written all over their faces.
Liangtou Village in Quanjiang Town is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one, with a superior natural environment and abundant arable land. However, because there was no distinctive agriculture, most villagers lived a life of toiling in the fields from dawn to dusk, unable to earn much money all year round.
By a chance opportunity, the village cadre Xie Liuhua discovered the value of water chestnuts and was the first to plant them on a large scale in his own farmland. As the first to try this new venture, he tasted the sweetness of a distinctive industry.
"The water chestnut yield is about 6,500 jin per mu. My water chestnuts are mainly sold to Zhangzhou, Fujian, and the Philippines. From what we can see so far, this year's sales are expected to exceed 2.5 million," Xie Liuhua said, beaming with joy as he looked at the bumper harvest in prospect.
Being rich oneself is not truly rich; only when everyone is rich is it truly rich. To promote villagers' income growth, town and village cadres guide villagers to vigorously plant water chestnuts, rapeseed flowers, and other distinctive crops. At the same time, they vigorously promote improved varieties and methods, providing villagers with hands-on technical services in cultivation and transplanting, field management, fertilization guidance, and pest and disease control, actively guiding water chestnut growers to plant and manage scientifically, achieving continuous growth in returns.
"Now, our village's water chestnut planting base covers 250 mu, which can basically solve the employment problem for more than 100 people. From water chestnuts alone, each person's annual per capita income can increase by about 1,600 yuan. Next, the village plans to unite the villagers to expand the planting scale, establish a farmers' professional cooperative, and strive together toward a moderately prosperous life," Xie Liuhua said.