Greenhouses empower rural vitalization in Shandong district

Laiwu district in Jinan, Shandong province actively promotes greenhouse cultivation. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In recent years, the Laiwu district of Jinan, Shandong province has been actively promoting greenhouse cultivation, helping local farmers increase their incomes.

Established in 2020, the Pengxiang Fruit and Vegetable Planting Professional Cooperative in Shangtaizi village, Gaozhuang sub-district, consists of nine modern steel-structured greenhouses. The distinctive strawberries in these greenhouses have attracted a large number of visitors interested in picking them.

"We combine in-person picking with online live streaming to drive the sales of agricultural products grown inside the greenhouses, resulting in an annual increase of about 100,000 yuan ($13,700) in the village's collective income," said Guo Peng, Party secretary of Shangtaizi village.

Similarly, in Gaozhuang sub-district, the Mingli Special Vegetable Planting Professional Cooperative has established over 50 vegetable greenhouses involving more than 3,000 farmers from surrounding villages in high-quality vegetable production, with annual sales revenue reaching 15 million yuan. In addition, Pocaowa village completed the construction of 12 greenhouses for growing watermelons, strawberries, and persimmons in 2021. They have signed a sales agreement with a trading company in Beijing, accumulating 3 million yuan in sales revenue to date.

Looking ahead, Laiwu will actively explore the integration of sightseeing, picking, and tourism to enhance the quality and efficiency of greenhouse economics, thereby promoting industrial rejuvenation to boost rural vitalization. (Edited by Li Weiwei)