Rice-fish co-culture increases farmers’ income

In mid to late August, Pingba Town of Guzhang County welcomes a bountiful harvest of rice and fish in the paddy fields. Villagers, rolling up their pants, were busy catching fish after draining the water in the rice fields of Danwu Village, Pingba Town. “A fish can reach a weight of 250 grams, with an annual production of 50 kilograms and an annual income of 10,000 yuan,” said a villager from Danwu Village. Pingba Town implements rice and fish farming in 3,200 mu (about 213.33 hectares) of fields this year. Based on fathead minnow resources, the town has worked to create an influential characteristic breeding base for high-quality fish fry in Xiangxi, providing high-quality fish fry to surrounding areas. At the same time, through the comprehensive planting and breeding model of rice-fish co-culture and the sales model of farmers plus cooperatives plus large growers, it is expected to increase income by 2,000 to 5,000 yuan per mu (about 0.067 hectares). Next, Pingba Town will strive to develop the characteristic Miao sour fish into a local iconic agricultural product brand relying on the advantageous resource of fathead minnow and build an environment-friendly full industry chain that can help farmers increase income.


Chinese source: hunantoday