Unified land management boosts agricultural efficiency in Shandong's village

A field in Xiangyin village, Ningyang county. [Photo by Zhang Wen'an/for chinadaily.com.cn]

In Xiangyin village, Xiangyin township, Ningyang county, Shandong province, village official Guo Yumei led a large-scale land consolidation project. Dozens of irrigation lines have been laid out, providing efficient irrigation services for villagers.

The village collective leased scattered plots from farmers at 1,300 yuan ($178.76) every 666.67 square meters, achieving unified management. By adopting a soybean and corn intercropping system, they also increased the farmland's productivity.

The initiative addressed the issue of fragmented land, enhancing the scale and mechanization of agriculture. The village integrated the dispersed plots into a single field, managed collectively, and implemented an all-in-one system of plowing, planting, managing, harvesting, and selling.

Under the unified management of the village collective, villagers receive annual land transfer fees and have opportunities to earn extra income by assisting with planting, weeding, and watering.

Rows of sprinklers stand in the fields, nourishing the farmland in Xiangyin village, Ningyang county. [Photo by Zhang Wen'an/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Yan Jingcun, a 61-year-old villager, praised the benefits of the model, saying that it saves on both time and labor, while bringing in more money.

Xiangyin township plans to continue developing the "one field" model, promoting the development of specialized agricultural industries, supporting rural vitalization, increasing the income of the village collective, improving agricultural efficiency, and raising earnings for farmers. (Edited by Yang Yi)