Yishui County, leveraging its resource endowments, has prioritized the development of specialty agriculture as a key strategy for industrial revitalization. Through policy support and project assistance, the county promotes high-quality development of specialty agriculture, effectively aiding local residents in increasing their incomes and achieving prosperity, while advancing comprehensive rural revitalization through industrial rejuvenation.
In early winter, stepping into the greenhouse of Liu Hongqiang’s blueberry family farm in Yishui County reveals orderly rows of potted blueberries bursting with greenery. Upon closer inspection, one can see round, plump buds quietly blooming among the green leaves, exuding a delicate fragrance that is quite delightful. Unlike traditional ground-planted blueberries, these potted blueberries are easier to manage, allowing for better control of temperature, humidity, and light conditions, often resulting in superior fruit quality.
“We’re currently planting potted blueberries, which save costs compared to traditional ground planting. They can be densely planted, increasing our income, and they can come to market a month to twenty days earlier than traditional varieties, effectively doubling our revenue,” explained Liu Hongqiang, the farm’s owner.
As a major agricultural town, Yangzhuang Town in Yishui County has actively broadened its industrial development channels in recent years, vigorously developing blueberries as a regionally distinctive agricultural industry, gradually becoming a “golden business card” for the town. However, after years of development, traditional blueberry cultivation has faced issues such as significant environmental impacts, stagnant market prices, and aging varieties. With the maturation of new potted blueberry cultivation technology, Liu Hongqiang decided this year to experiment with planting nearly 20,000 potted blueberries in his greenhouse, which are now entering their flowering stage.
“This is my first year growing potted blueberries, and I’ve encountered various challenges. The technical staff from our town frequently come to provide on-site guidance, helping me resolve many issues, which has boosted my confidence in development,” Liu expressed confidently about his future prospects.
In addition to focusing on new cultivation techniques for blueberries, Yangzhuang Town has also been extending its industrial chain to continuously broaden the development path of the blueberry industry. A blueberry tissue culture laboratory established by the Xingluo Fruit Cooperative in Yishui County has expanded this year, addressing key technical issues in the processes of “introduction, breeding, and cultivation.” This effort aims to gradually form a complete industrial chain encompassing good variety breeding, large-scale cultivation, leisure picking, pre-cooling preservation, deep processing, and brand marketing.
“This year, we plan to further expand our cultivation scale by constructing 12 high-standard greenhouses, increasing research and development of blueberry-related products, and combining tourism with fruit picking to create the largest contiguous blueberry planting base in northern Jiangsu,” said Zhang Benhua, chairman of the Xingluo Fruit Cooperative.
The vigorous development of specialty industries in Yangzhuang Town is a microcosm of Yishui County’s multifaceted efforts to promote specialty planting and assist in rural revitalization. In recent years, Yishui County has seized the opportunity to establish a supply base for agricultural products in the Yangtze River Delta central city, closely aligning with goals for agricultural efficiency, farmer income growth, and rural development. The county has actively implemented the “Agricultural Stability County” strategy, promoting agricultural structure adjustments through policy guidance and support, developing specialty and efficient agriculture suitable to local conditions, and cultivating a number of supply bases and demonstration parks to create an industrial layout of “one town, one industry; one village, one specialty.”
