As temperatures gradually rise after the Beginning of Spring in China's lunar calendar, a bustling scene unfolds at a yam seedling base in Juancheng county, Shandong province, on Feb 19. Harvesters work tirelessly, collecting yam and bean seedlings, with rows of yam seedlings freshly dug from the ground.

At the Tianrun Seed and Breeding Integrated High-efficiency Industrial Park at Juancheng's Linpu town, hardworking farmers cooperate to carry out tasks such as seedling picking, weighing, classification and packaging.

In Juancheng, a key grain producer, farming is being boosted to help elevate farmers' income.

Deng Zhaopeng, magistrate of Juancheng, said on Jan 14 that the county plans to increase its GDP by some 6.5 percent and elevate the per capita disposable income of all residents by about 7 percent this year.

He also promised to accelerate the construction of livable and beautiful villages, as well as promote the prosperity of farmers.

Juancheng boasts a cultivation land area of over 65,884.35 hectares, and plantation land of more than 12,967.3 hectares.

As rural vitalization relies on industries and technology as strong support, Linpu town has sent agricultural technology experts to visit farmers' fields in recent years, guiding them in seedling sowing and harvesting, said Meng Xin, a county resident.

Meng highlighted that the town has adopted a self-sufficient, efficient, and environmentally-friendly path in agriculture, strengthening its agricultural sector and improving the livelihoods of local farmers.

Juancheng, which administers two sub-districts and 15 towns with a total population of over 923,000, witnessed its regional GDP hit some 31 billion yuan ($4.36 billion) in 2024, a 6.5 percent year-on-year increase. Back in 2023, its output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery reached 6.516 billion yuan, an annual increase of 4.5 percent at comparable prices.

Meng added that in Juancheng, the number of agricultural processing enterprises with an annual sales income of at least 20 million yuan each climbed by 105 by the end of 2024.

Please contact the writer at [email protected]