Gansu Jingning: Watermelon Planting Tastes “Sweet”

Recently, entering the Qilin Watermelon Planting Base in Xiaoshan Village, Bali Town, Jingning County, Gansu Province, mature and plump watermelons were hidden among the vines. The farmers were busy picking, sorting, and packing, their faces filled with joy of harvest, and the scene was filled with a busy harvest scene.

We grow Qilin Meidu watermelon, which has a thin and juicy skin, delicate flesh and no residue, low fiber content, and good market sales. Its growth period is about 90 days, and we adopt a ‘batch planting and harvesting’ method to ensure that it can be recycled. The picked watermelon is directly sent to coastal cities such as Fujian, and sold for about 3 yuan per kilogram, “said Wang Gang, the person in charge of Qilin watermelon planting base.

This year, Xiaoshan Village assisted enterprises in actively transferring land to develop the watermelon planting industry. Enterprises provided unified seedlings, planting, management, and technical guidance, and products were purchased and sold by enterprises. Farmers received land rent and labor income. At the same time, villagers can also become farmers themselves, and companies provide free seedlings, technical guidance, etc. The produced watermelons are uniformly purchased by the companies.

Developing the characteristic watermelon planting industry not only improves the land utilization rate, but also provides more employment opportunities for villagers, allowing nearby villagers to earn money at their doorstep. Since the construction of the greenhouse began, we have been working here and can earn over 100 yuan a day! “Said Liu Naixing, a villager working in the greenhouse, happily. This year, watermelon sales have been good, and there is work every day in the greenhouse, making life more promising.

Developing industries is an important way to strengthen the collective economy of villages and lead villagers to increase their income and become rich. In recent years, Jingning County has adapted measures to local conditions, actively innovated agricultural development models, promoted the development of characteristic planting industries, and explored a new path to increase agricultural efficiency and farmers’ income.