Sanjiang Plain farm bolsters food security

As he surveyed the rice seedlings growing steadily in his paddies, Zhang Jinghui began looking forward to another bumper harvest.

The 60-year-old has worked on his plot on the Qixing Farm on the Sanjiang Plain, a major rice-growing area in Heilongjiang province, for 27 years since he moved here from Suihua city in search of a better life in 1995.

A State-owned farm part of the Jiansanjiang Company, itself a subsidiary of the Beidahuang Agricultural Reclamation Group, Qixing consists of 71,333 hectares of rice.

"Before I moved here, the six members of my family had 2 hectares of farmland in Suihua, which provided a meager subsistence," he said. "So when a relative told me that planting in the reclamation area might bring a higher income, I decided to give it a try."

Zhang rented 20 hectares the first year and made a profit of 30,000 yuan, which was a large amount at the time.

He then rented 24 additional hectares the next year and became known on the farm for his industrious, innovative approach.

In all, he has harvested about 10,000 metric tons of rice from his plots. As he has gotten older, Zhang has reduced the area he works.

"Last year, I made a 160,000 yuan ($23,742) profit from my 23 hectares," he said. "With the help of modern agricultural technology and machinery like automated rice planters, I believe I will have high yields of high-quality rice this autumn."

During a visit to Qixing in September 2018, President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of food security so that the country can control its own food supply.

Agriculture is a fundamental sector, he said, and China's modernization cannot be achieved without agricultural modernization.

He added that the revitalization of agriculture should rely on science and technology as well as talent.

"I still remember how excited I was when I shook hands with President Xi and told him about the rapid development of planting on my land," Zhang said. "He demonstrated his concern for Beidahuang, which made us more confident about working hard to grow more and better grain for the country."

In recent years, the farm has increased its investment in science and technology, modernizing agriculture.

In 2000, Zhang was the first on the farm to switch his irrigation pump from diesel to electric power, which lowered labor costs and resulted in economic gains. He also pioneered the testing of new species, pesticides and technologies.

Five years ago, he registered a trademark for his strain of rice, which has boosted his annual income.

"We have 48,300 agricultural machines, and a mechanization rate of 99 percent," said Li Dongguang, general manager of Qixing Company. "Rice production has been completely mechanized."

"We make use of new, practical advances like satellite navigation-assisted rice transplanting on over 40 percent of our land," he said. "We have also built a fully-functional intelligent control platform for rice production to boost the whole process of intelligent rice planting."

In recognition of the advantages of black soil, Jiansanjiang follows an intensified modern agricultural production model, which contributes greatly to ensuring national food security.