Weather service facilitates modern agriculture in Ningxia

YINCHUAN — On the vast Xizan goji berry plantation in Zhongning county, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, the goji plants start to sprout as the spring breeze blows, guarded by a well-constructed weather service base.

"Some budding signs can be observed now, though they are not obvious. The plants will sprout strikingly and turn green in about two weeks," said Zhang Lei, an expert at the meteorological research institute under the regional weather bureau.

As of last year, the planting area of goji plants in Ningxia had reached 25,333 hectares. The region aims to double the planting area and achieve an overall industry value of 50 billion yuan ($7.3 billion) by the end of 2025.