Power electrifies rice seedling cultivation in Hangzhou

At Lin'an Yuqian Modern Agricultural Service Center in Hangzhou, provincial capital of Zhejiang, the head of the seedling center, Chen Quan, was very pleased with its booming business as wheat is being harvested and rice cultivation is in full swing.

Driving a small forklift truck to transport trays of seedlings to logistics vehicles on a daily basis, Chen said that each day, his center can provide seedlings for at least 26.7 hectares of rice fields, serving over 7,670 hectares annually.

"From the end of April to mid-June each year, our seedling center sees its busiest activity," he said.

"Farmers from nearby towns of Tianmushan and Taiyang also bring their rice seeds here for seedling cultivation."

In recent years, with the acceleration of agricultural modernization, the rate of agricultural mechanization has significantly increased, and various mechanical equipment has begun to play a vital role in agricultural production.

Lin'an Yuqian Modern Agricultural Service Center is fully equipped with a digital platform for agricultural social services, a factory-style seedling center, a rice and wheat drying center, a rice processing center and an agricultural technology services center, Chen said, adding that digitization has become the center's most prominent feature.

With a history of over 5,000 years and now acting as a semi-provincial level city administering 10 districts, one county-level city and two counties, Hangzhou achieved a regional GDP of 2.01 trillion yuan ($282.1 billion) in 2023, of which the added value of agriculture was 34.7 billion yuan.

"The rice seedling production line runs at full capacity, with six air conditioners in the seedling room operating round the clock, all supported by reliable electricity," Chen said.

On June 5, Feng Long and Sun Zhiwen, staffers at State Grid Lin'an District Electric Power Co in Hangzhou, visited the service center to inspect its electricity-powered substrate recovery machine and seedling tray stacking machine, trying to safeguard the smooth operation of smart seedling cultivation.

As the wheat ripens and plums turn yellow amid the rain, the summer fields showcase a golden stretch of wheat on one side, and rice transplanting machines diligently at work on the other, covering the fields with a touch of green.

"In addition to conducting on-site inspections of electrical equipment every half month, we have also established an online communication mechanism with large-scale agricultural growers in the district," said Feng.

"Farmers can seek help in our group for any electricity-related issues, and we will respond and resolve them promptly to ensure precise electricity services."

Fu Yunxiao, Feng's colleague, stressed that to ensure all the grain is harvested during the summer harvest, sowing and crop management period, electric power must be ensured.

To support the high-quality development of local agriculture in Lin'an, State Grid Lin'an District Electric Power Co has innovated a practice mode of "joint organization, joint problem-solving and data sharing", Fu said.

Working with the State Grid-dispatched first Party secretary stationed in a village as a carrier, the power supplier has initiated 12 electricity services, covering power line rectification, electricity consultation for village enterprises, as well as power support for local projects.

"This helps accelerate a new round of rural power grid transformation, and upgrade rural power supply levels," Fu said.

Earlier, during construction of the service center, Lin'an District Electric Power Co implemented a customer management tracking service system, providing one-stop services from its power application and on-site survey to speed up installation and electricity supply, ensuring that the center has no issues with electricity use, Feng said.

Additionally, the company also formulated an electricity guarantee table in accordance with the traditional 24 Chinese lunar periodic fixtures, and required its power supply stations to guarantee a full-service model in a bid to support high-quality development of local agriculture with dedicated services, he said.

Contact the writers at zhuangqiange@chinadaily.com.cn