Modern makeover for farming areas and wetland zone

Dongying in East China's Shandong province is well on the road to achieving agricultural modernization, local officials have said.

The Dongying Agricultural High-tech Industries Demonstration Zone is home to many high-tech projects, one of which is a salmon farming project with planned investment of 43 million yuan ($6.33 million).

According to a representative of the project, it has adopted a modern farming model and uses automatic facilities and systems involving biological filtration, ultraviolet sterilization, heat exchange, automatic feeding, all under strict control and monitoring.

The project started operating in October and is expected to provide 500 tons of salmon annually with sales revenue of 25 million yuan and profits of 8 million yuan.

In recent years, the agricultural high-tech zone invested 1.19 billion yuan in building a 70,000-square-meter agricultural exhibition center and promoted construction of an international agricultural products logistics park.

Dongying recently released a development plan for modern agriculture for the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20). According to the plan, the city aims to modernize its agriculture sector by the end of 2020, iqilu.com, a news portal in Shandong, reported.

It will build an efficient industrial system consisting of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and animal husbandry. An agricultural production system will be built with excellent facilities, as well as a modern agricultural operating system.

Dongying not only focuses on agricultural development but also on improving its living environment, local officials said. The livable city has been promoting low-carbon and environmentally friendly development.

The Yellow River passes through Dongying before flowing into the sea. Both sides of the estuary boast wetlands which cover 1,530 square kilometers and are considered one of China's most beautiful wetlands. The wetlands are home to reed marshes, woods and wide grasslands.

The city is implementing a three-year plan to improve its living environment and promote sustainable development. It plans to improve 11 pilot ecological forest farms and provide them with infrastructure, including water conservancy facilities and roads.

This year, the city started construction of a forest wetlands park that will cover about 24 sq km. The park will feature rivers, lakes, wetlands and forests, and a comprehensive service center.

Some 2 million trees and shrubs will be planted in the park and a 23-km-long road flanked by plants will be built as a venue for sports such as jogging and cycling.

The first phase of the project should be completed in three years, and the second phase is expected to begin in January 2017.