国内英语资讯:Discover China: Green shoots of prosperity as asparagus takes root in rural China_时事

国内英语资讯:Discover China: Green shoots of prosperity as asparagus takes root in rural China

In the past, asparagus was something unheard of among impoverished farmers such as Dong Yi in Xiamaguan. Dong's family has about three hectares of land. For generations, the family depended on grain plantation to make a living, though they barely made enough money to live a decent life.

A few years ago, a series of irrigation projects pumped water from the Yellow River into the dry, sandy lands in Ningxia. The Yellow River is China's second-longest river. With more water, local residents decided to grow more crops, said local Party official Dong Zhanping.

"The farmers tried a variety of plants at first, including traditional Chinese herbs, and corn, but the yields were less than satisfactory," the official said.

In 2017, township officials decided to introduce asparagus to the area after multiple field surveys. They invited a company that had success growing asparagus in a nearby county.

"We persuaded farmers to lease their land to us and we managed the land collectively," Dong Zhanping said, adding that they gave 3,000 yuan to the farmers for each hectare of land they leased. Experts then cultivated asparagus seedlings in greenhouses, before planting them in the fields, depending on dripping irrigation technology.

"Different from the bamboo in southern China, asparagus can adapt to a very dry environment, which is why the land in Xiamaguan is perfect for its cultivation," said company manager He Jiang. "Besides, the air here is fresh, and the soil is very clean, so the asparagus grown here is very good quality."