Binzhou Humin: New sales model brings vitality

In the midst of winter's chill, the greenhouses in Madian town, Huimin county, Binzhou, Shandong province, are filled with the vitality of spring. Seedling trays are neatly arranged, with seedlings of watermelon, tomatoes, peppers, and more flourishing, as villagers busy themselves watering, separating seedlings, and packing.

"We have received over 3 million orders for watermelon and melon seedlings, mostly local orders, with some coming from Henan province," said Zhu Ning, chairman of Huimin Fuzhong Fruit and Vegetable Planting Cooperative.

Madian town, with over 40 years of melon farming, previously faced challenges in the seedling industry, relying on low-quality, externally sourced seedlings. To address this, the town introduced policies to promote the establishment of local seedling cooperatives, adopting an integrated breeding model and building 15 standardized greenhouses. This approach improved both the production scale and quality of seedlings.

The cooperative introduced new technologies, such as updating grafting rootstocks and top-grafting techniques, which allowed for earlier fruit harvesting and increased yields. The seedling base operates on an order-based model, with seedlings supplied locally and to other places like Gansu, Ningxia, and Henan.

The town now produces 200 million seedlings annually, aiding 90 percent of local farmers. With an expanded planting area of over 50,000 mu (3,333.3 hectares), farmers' average income has increased by 20,000 yuan ($2,728), while seedlings are sold nationwide, supporting rural vitalization.