A vegetable greenhouse at Rudong Modern Agricultural Demonstration Park. [Photo/WeChat account: rudongfabu]

Rudong Modern Agricultural Demonstration Park has leveraged its strengths to establish a comprehensive industrial system. The number of businesses operating in the park has surged from 10 in 2019 to 113 today, with the total agricultural output value reaching 1.39 billion yuan ($191.67 million yuan) last year. 

"In addition to strengthening our core industries, such as rice, wheat, and vegetables, we are actively exploring new sectors like flower tourism and fruit and vegetable picking. Our goal is to integrate primary, secondary, and tertiary industries to create mutual benefits for leading enterprises, farmers, and village collectives," said Gao Ying, first secretary of Yingquan village in Caobu town, where the agricultural park is located. 

Yingquan village has built a comprehensive supply chain encompassing agricultural processing, cold storage, packaging, and sales. A 4-million-yuan investment was made in constructing a cold chain storage center, enhancing product value and market competitiveness. Gao revealed that this year, the village will establish Nantong's first butterfly orchid seedling cultivation base, with an estimated output value of 300,000 yuan per mu (667 square meters). 

The park features state-of-the-art facilities, with automated ventilation, shading systems, and intelligent irrigation. These smart technologies have significantly improved efficiency while reducing labor intensity.

"Our greenhouse automation is highly advanced, utilizing steam pipelines for heating in winter and IoT-based remote management to create optimal growing conditions for crops," said Wang Jingyu, deputy general manager of Nantong Zhongjiang Agricultural Development. 

Technology is a key driver of agricultural modernization. The park has invested nearly 10 million yuan in smart agriculture. Over 95 percent of its facilities are automated, allowing full remote control of temperature, moisture, pH levels, soil composition, ventilation, and irrigation via mobile devices.

"We have already created jobs for over 200 villagers, increasing their annual income by 10,000 yuan on average," Gao added.

The rapid development of rural industries has attracted many young people to return home and start businesses. They are leveraging e-commerce to sell products, adopting new planting techniques, and implementing modern management models to enhance productivity. The park has also drawn investors and workers from across China, with nearly 450 migrant workers and around 70 external growers from provinces including Anhui, Shandong, and Henan.