Qinghai's Golmud City has 34,000 mu of goji berry planting area
Golmud City's goji berry planting area has reached 34,000 mu this year, accounting for more than half of the city's total arable land. Why has this new-type city located in the Qaidam Basin vigorously promoted dryland farming, represented by goji berries, in its agricultural development?
Building a large industrial city and modern regional central city represented by salt lake chemicals, petroleum and natural gas chemicals, and ferrous and nonferrous metal smelting - for Golmud City to achieve this established goal, it must have sufficient water resources as a guarantee. Although Golmud, located in the Gobi Desert, has water systems such as the Golmud River and the Nalinggele River within its territory, due to years of development, the utilization of the Golmud River has reached saturation, the development of the Nalinggele River 110 kilometers away has not yet been approved as a project, and the groundwater level has also dropped to the warning line.
60,000 mu of farmland is "thirsty," nearly 70,000 mu of artificial forest belts need moisture, 270,000 residents need water to drink, and the rapidly developing large-scale industry and circular economy need even more water!
Where will the water come from? Golmud's agricultural production began with garrison reclamation in the 1960s, after which some farmers were relocated in succession from the arid mountainous areas and reservoir areas of eastern Qinghai Province in the form of migration and village resettlement. At present, the city's agricultural population is about 40,000, with more than 50,000 mu of arable land retained. Although the city's agricultural output value is only 1/132 of its industrial output value, because flood irrigation is basically used, agricultural irrigation water accounts for 54% of currently developed water volume, while industrial water use accounts for only 35.4%. According to Golmud's industrial and circular economy plan, industrial water use will soon exceed 40%. Properly solving the problem of rational allocation of water resources is directly related to the overall development of the Qaidam circular economy.
It is necessary both to safeguard farmers' interests and maintain the stability of agricultural production, and to accelerate the pace of industrialization and promote the development of the circular economy. The decision-makers of Golmud City focused their attention on water-saving agriculture.
But developing water-saving agriculture is not an easy task. Qaidam farmland irrigation almost entirely uses flood irrigation, while water-saving drip irrigation is costly and difficult to promote for the time being. Therefore, proceeding from reality, Golmud's decision-makers set the goal of developing water-saving agriculture on promoting the cultivation of goji berries, which have economic value and are highly drought-tolerant. Developing this cash crop can achieve multiple benefits at once: improving agricultural planting efficiency and increasing farmers' incomes; reducing farmland irrigation water use and reserving sufficient water sources for the development of the Qaidam circular economy; and reducing cultivation steps, which is conducive to soil and water conservation and the health of the oasis ecosystem.
In 2007, Golmud City introduced fine goji berry seedlings from Ningxia, carefully cultivated them using scientific and technological means, and promoted their planting in rural areas throughout the city. That year, 27,000 mu were planted, and by this year, 34,000 mu have been promoted and planted citywide.
Farmer Han Guoyi of Dagele Township told reporters that in the past, farming used a large amount of water, and when drought occurred, watering became a big trouble. Goji berries are drought-tolerant, easy to manage, storable, and can fetch a good price. The year before last, his family planted 35 mu; last year these young seedlings bore fruit, with more than 100 jin of dried fruit harvested per mu, sold for a total of more than 60,000 yuan. Add the government subsidy for planting goji berries, and his family steadily earned nearly more than 80,000 yuan. "Judging by the growth of the goji berries this year, income will definitely be higher than last year!" Han Guoyi said confidently.
Promoting goji berry cultivation on a large scale has opened up new ideas for the development of water-saving agriculture in Golmud, opened up new channels for increasing farmers' incomes, and also guaranteed water use for industrial production and circular economy development. More importantly, by promptly adjusting the agricultural industrial structure and purposefully vigorously developing goji berry cultivation, cadres throughout the city have gained a deeper understanding of the essence of the Scientific Outlook on Development, laying a good theoretical and practical foundation for the healthy and sustainable development of Golmud's circular economy.
[Background Link]
Goji berry is a perennial deciduous shrub. Its fruit is a precious tonic medicine, sweet in taste and mild in medicinal properties, with the effects of nourishing the liver and kidneys and improving eyesight. Golmud City is located on the southern edge of the Qaidam Basin. Its soil is mainly gray-brown desert soil, meadow saline soil, and bog soil, with relatively high salinity and alkalinity. In terms of climate, although winters are cold and long, summers are warm with ample sunshine, and natural conditions are uniquely favorable. Goji berry is also an economic shrub that is drought-tolerant, salt- and alkali-tolerant, and fond of sunlight, making it especially suitable for large-scale promotion and planting in water-scarce areas.
According to appraisal, goji berries produced in Golmud City are plump, thick-fleshed, brightly colored, high in sugar content, and sweet in taste. Their nutrient components needed by the human body and bioactive components with physiological regulatory effects are high. Their flavonoid content is about 30% higher than that of other production areas, and high-quality large fruits account for more than 70%, making them one of the highest-quality goji berries in China at present.