Ping Shuimu becomes a rising star of the "North Vegetables Moving South" program

Ping Shuimu is inspecting the growth of vegetables in the greenhouse.  Photo by Yao Yiqing  Cheng Yingshu

     In Xiaoshan, when people talk about "North Vegetables Moving South," Ping Shuimu is a name that must be mentioned. Although he was not the first to "eat the crab," his speed of "expansion" cannot be underestimated.

When I first met Ping Shuimu, he was wearing sunglasses and driving a Hyundai SUV, with a bold and rugged personality. He did not look at all like someone who works with soil.

Ping Shuimu had previously run a food packaging factory and worked as a small construction contractor. He is a man with a strong business mind.

When asked why he initially wanted to go into land contract management, he said: "Mainly because I saw that agriculture is a promising industry. Although it is a bit tough and tiring, the risks are smaller compared to other industries. At the same time, support for agriculture from governments at all levels is increasing year by year. As long as there are no major natural disasters, the benefits of large-scale management are no less than running a small enterprise. For example, last year I contracted 153 mu of vegetables, achieving an output value of more than 750,000 yuan and a profit of about 160,000 yuan. If I did not engage in large-scale management, even paying the contract fee would be a struggle."

Ping Shuimu went to Yongfu Village in Daicun Town in March 2006 to contract land for planting, expanding from the initial 50 mu to 330 mu this year.

So why did he choose to come to Yongfu Village for contracted management? Walking along, Ping Shuimu smiled and said: "Just look at the egrets flying freely in the fields, and you will know how good the air is here. In spring, there are simply so many egrets on the mountain." Indeed, there are no factories nearby, and it is some distance from the villagers' living area. With no pollution, it truly is the best place for producing pollution-free and green vegetables.

"This is bitter melon, 18 mu. Seedlings were raised in nutrient pots at the end of February, transplanted in early April, grown on trellises, and harvesting began on June 10. At that time it was 3.5 yuan per kg, and now it is 1.5 yuan per kg. Generally it can be harvested until October, with an estimated yield of more than 2,500 kg per mu." "There are 16 mu of loofah, 30 mu of winter melon, and more than 100 mu of leafy vegetables such as maomao greens, bok choy, amaranth, and spinach, as well as fresh-eating corn, mini purple sweet potatoes, potatoes, and solanaceous vegetables." Ping Shuimu introduced that many of these are vegetables grown in the north, and now they have been moved south for planting. In this way, city residents can eat fresh vegetables as soon as possible, and it can also provide raw materials nearby for local agricultural product processing enterprises.

It is understood that at present, Ping Shuimu mainly grows melon vegetables and leafy vegetables. He already has 50 mu of greenhouses, including 20 mu of steel-pipe greenhouses; 40 mu of sprinkler and drip irrigation facilities, mainly used for producing leafy vegetables, which can produce more than 5-6 batches a year, generally 1,500 kg per mu per batch, at a price of 1.6-1.8 yuan per kg. His 100 mu of leafy vegetables have this year been included in the Hangzhou leafy vegetable production guarantee-type functional zone construction project.

Ping Shuimu has vision. In June 2006, at the beginning of his contracting, he took the lead in establishing the Hangzhou Pingshi Vegetable Professional Cooperative and registered the "Tianfan" brand trademark. He signed a long-term purchase contract with Ningbo Sanjiang Shopping Club Co., Ltd., with 90% of the products purchased under contract. Because he was a layman when it came to agriculture, Ping Shuimu hired 2 technical personnel from the start of contracting to guide production and layout. At the same time, agronomic experts from the district agriculture bureau also frequently visited to provide technical guidance, bringing him varieties, technology, and information materials to help him carry out production and operation.

As far as the district's implementation of the "North Vegetables Moving South" project is concerned, Ping Shuimu started relatively late, but he has developed very quickly and is very determined. He is a true rising star.

When talking about his future plans and ideas, Ping Shuimu said that he will further expand the area, increase investment, and expand greenhouse facilities, truly making "North Vegetables Moving South" bigger and stronger.