Xundian's thousand-mu grain-flower fish expected to earn nearly a million

Due to severe drought, fish farming in paddy fields, a three-dimensional agricultural planting and breeding method that integrates rice cultivation with aquaculture, has become one of the effective ways for poor farmers in mountainous and semi-mountainous areas to increase their income. A reporter learned from the Municipal Agriculture Bureau that this year the city's paddy field fish farming project is arranged in three counties and districts: Luquan, Fumin and Xundian, with each county and district planning to implement 700 mu, and the entire project reaching 2,100 mu. In addition to the planned 700 mu, Xundian county will also add 570 mu of extension area. The net income from one mu of paddy field fish farming is 723 yuan, and the 1,270-mu paddy field fish farming plan will bring farmers nearly a million yuan in income.

Paddy field fish farming refers to digging fish ditches and fish pits of a certain area proportion in paddy fields, a three-dimensional agricultural planting and breeding method that integrates rice cultivation with aquaculture. To further advance the city's 2,100-mu paddy field fish farming project, the Fishery Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau organized a paddy field fish farming training class at Lishan Village Committee, Maoshan Town, Luquan. After learning about the development situation, significance, breeding principles, production measures, farming methods and farming experience of paddy field fish farming, the villagers designed the best farming model based on actual conditions.

Although digging fish ditches and fish pits reduces a certain amount of paddy field planting area, the fish ditches are conducive to air circulation and sunlight exposure, allowing plants to carry out photosynthesis more fully; when fish are raised in paddy fields, the fish droppings can also become fertilizer for the rice, creating good conditions for rice growth; in addition, fish can be used to remove pests and weeds in the field, reducing the use of pesticides.

According to the person in charge of the aquatic products office of the Xundian Agriculture Bureau, last year the fish raised in the paddy fields of Baizai Village, Jinsuo, were all booked up while still in the field, at a price as high as 80 yuan per kilogram. What makes fish in paddy fields sell at such a high price? The reason is that, to ensure rice quality, the fish grown in paddy fields are not fed with feed, mainly eating rice flowers, mosquito larvae, rice bran and wheat paste, with no pollution whatsoever, sweet and fresh meat and ecologically friendly; it also has a nice name, "grain-flower fish". Zhang Chaokun of the aquatic products station of the Xundian Agriculture Bureau said: "The fish raised in paddy fields are not only delicious but also pollution-free green food. Paddy field fish farming is very beneficial to improving the quality of both rice and fish."

Last year, Xundian extended paddy field fish farming across the county to 1,260 mu, with a fish yield of 25 kg per mu. Calculated at 35 yuan per kilogram, the output value per mu was 875 yuan. After deducting the cost of fry and digging fish ditches, the net income from one mu of paddy field fish farming was 723 yuan, better than the income from one mu of rice. Taking advantage of last year's good momentum, this year Xundian plans to complete 1,270 mu of paddy field fish farming, implementing 100-mu demonstration plots in Qixing and Rende respectively for extension, with the farmed fish mainly being Jian carp and Xiangyun carp.

To ensure the high-quality completion of this year's paddy field fish farming demonstration plots and to drive more farmers to participate, the Xundian Agriculture Bureau organized a total of 12 people, including township agriculture leaders in charge, agriculture section staff, village committee personnel and farmers in the Qixing and Rende paddy field fish farming demonstration areas, to go to Malong County to inspect and learn paddy field fish farming techniques and learn from experience on site. Zhang Chaokun introduced that, to better extend paddy field fish farming, the aquatic products station this year plans to increase the income of paddy field fish farming across the county from several aspects, including increasing the stocking quantity and feeding amount, standardized fish ditch digging and fry specifications. At present, the county has completed the ordering and breeding of paddy field fish farming fry. It is understood that the aquatic products station will organize the release of fry at the end of June, and in late September the fish in the paddy fields will be ready for market.

Reporter Yang Yang, correspondents Ma Xingyou and Li Yanmei reporting, source Kunming Daily