New Experience of Socialized Service Organizations for Old Farmers Bringing Modern Agricultural Production Methods Organizations | Farmers | Production
CCTV News: Gaotang is a major grain producing county in Shandong Province. In this county, the land operated by small farmers over 60 years old accounts for more than 70% of the county's planting area. These "old hands" who were active in the fields used to rely on a hoe and a sickle to manage their own one acre and three parts of land, but today, with the gradual promotion of modern farming methods, they have a different wheat harvesting experience. Take a look at the report sent back by the reporter from the front line of wheat harvesting.
Liu Zhihua, who is 64 years old this year, is a villager from Yingmaxin Village, Gaotang County. Although his children are all working outside and his family lacks strong labor, he and his wife have planted more than 30 acres of land.
Liu Zhihua, a villager from Yingmaxin Village, Liulishi Town, Gaotang County, Shandong Province: It can be grown easily. Now that the land is easy to farm, you can see that the wheat is ripe. We just watch the unloading of the wheat here, and there's no need for us to cut it. There's nothing to worry about, it's different from before.
Old Liu told reporters that there are over 500 households in Yingmaxin Village, Gaotang County where he is located. In recent years, as young people go out to work, the main force of grain cultivation in the village has suddenly become the elderly.
Dong Hejiang, Director of the Agricultural Socialization Service Office of the Agriculture and Rural Bureau of Gaotang County, Shandong Province: They have a strong emotional attachment to land, and it is more reassuring to cultivate it on their own. They still rely on traditional experience and old-fashioned farming methods, which cannot increase grain production.
A phenomenon like Yingma New Village is very common throughout the country. Currently, there are approximately 207 million agricultural operators in China, of which over 98% are small farmers. Small farmers account for 70% of the total cultivated land area. This situation is also a thorny issue that troubles various regions to further enhance grain production capacity.
The predicament of Yingma New Village began to turn around in 2021, and in that year, Gaotang County became one of the first pilot counties in China to carry out agricultural socialized services. Develop agricultural production trusteeship without transferring land management rights, connect with scattered small farmers, and provide them with a "one-stop" full process trusteeship service for farming, planting, management, and harvesting, or a "menu style" half process trusteeship service.
Dong Hejiang, Director of the Agricultural Socialization Service Office of the Agriculture and Rural Bureau of Gaotang County, Shandong Province: Let agricultural socialization service organizations participate, organize small farmers, and let agricultural socialization service organizations help them with farming.
News feature: New farmers farming and old farmers increasing income
The social service organization has arrived, but the initial connection was not smooth. The reason is that the elderly believe more in their down-to-earth farming experience, are not familiar with new technological methods, and have many concerns.
Han Qingfeng, a staff member of Liulishi Town, Gaotang County, Shandong Province: Whoever I say doesn't believe, whoever has concerns, you have to keep an eye on every aspect. You put forward your rectification suggestions on the spot, and we will promptly implement them accordingly. At first glance, the common people seemed to have done what they said and only then did they push this matter aside.
The elderly have gained some trust, and these service organizations have also demonstrated "eighteen martial arts", from soil testing formulas, seed coating, suppression technology to unified prevention and control, a series of new technologies and varieties have been applied and promoted, allowing the elderly to flexibly "order" according to their own needs.
The modern agricultural production methods brought by socialized service organizations have given Liu Zhihua and his wife, two elderly people in their 60s, the confidence to easily plant over 30 acres of land. At present, there are 152 agricultural socialized service organizations in Gaotang County, with a service area of 1.196 million mu, accounting for more than 80% of the total area. This also makes local elderly people like Lao Liu more flexible and relaxed in farming.
Liu Zhihua, a villager from Yingmaxin Village, Liulishi Town, Gaotang County, Shandong Province: As long as I have the time, ability, and physical conditions, I will manage a part of it myself. If I cannot manage it, I will ask the custody department to manage it, so it is very free.
With the gradual recognition of custodial services by small farmers like Lao Liu, the area of custodial services is also constantly expanding, which has attracted enterprises such as Shandong Seed Industry Group to carry out contract agriculture in Gaotang, connecting small farmers to the large market.
Wang Miaomiao, the mayor of Liulisi Town, Gaotang County, Shandong Province: 40% of the land in the town has signed a breeding contract with the seed industry group. Calculated based on selling an extra ten cents per kilogram and a yield of 1000 kilograms per acre, this will increase the income per acre by 100 yuan, and the income of 30000 acres of land in the town will increase by 3 million yuan.
