Quzhou's grapefruit cultivation system, Jiangshan apis cerana breeding system and Longyou Beixiang township lotus-fish farming system were recently recognized as Zhejiang provincial agricultural heritage resources, local media reported on Dec 9.

Changshan county's broad base terracing cultivation system for grapefruit has a history of 600 years. Grapefruit there is grown over an area of 106,000 mu (7,066 hectares) and has a total annual output of 140,000 metric tons. The total output value of the entire grapefruit industrial chain has exceeded 3 billion yuan ($431.2 million), providing jobs for nearly 100,000 people and increasing per capita income by 6,000 yuan.

The Jiangshan apis cerana is good at collecting scattered honey sources in mountainous areas. Its honey contains a variety of trace elements that can be directly absorbed by the human body, and it is rich in vitamins, enzymes and bioactive substances. There are 14,000 boxes of apis cerana in Jiangshan with an output of about 70 tons. Each box can bring an income of 1,000 yuan for bee farmers.

The Longyou Beixiang township lotus-fish farming system is a production model combining planting and breeding. Using lotus fields to raise fish allows fish to eat pests and weeds in the fields, excrete manure and turn over the soil, creating good conditions for lotus seeds.