A demonstration field for the integrated rice-crawfish farming system in Huzhou's Nanxun district. [Photo/WeChat account: huzhoufabu]

Nanxun district and Changxing county in Huzhou were recently designated Zhejiang provincial models for the integrated rice-fish farming system.

In addition, 21 farms from the city were also listed as provincial models in that regard. A total of five administrative areas, as well as 68 farms from across Zhejiang won such an honor.

In recent years, Huzhou has been actively promoting the integrated rice-fish farming system in an effort to help farmers increase their incomes.

For instance, the city now has a 126,000-mu (8,400 hectares) field that adopts the rice-crawfish farming pattern, whose yield stands at roughly 3,000 yuan ($461.54) per mu, an increase of 300 to 2,800 yuan compared with the traditional rice plantation mode.

In addition, the integrated rice-fish farm system has also greatly improved food security, as it can reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides by 30 percent and 50 percent respectively.