Forgotten village that transformed into rural gem

Yangjiaozui, once a typical left-behind village in Peng'an county of Nanchong, Sichuan province, has been transformed to a village where people live a happy life thanks to local authorities' efforts in rural vitalization.

The village formerly faced issues such as an aging population, abandoned land and economic stagnation. To reverse that situation, the local leadership made a bold decision to tackle the challenges with a reform mindset. Under the leadership of the village's Party organization, a cooperative was established to implement unified management and cultivation, transforming scattered operations to large-scale operations.

Under the guidance of the village Party branch, Yangjiaozui has been transformed into a unique and distinctive development model characterized by the integration of the Party branch, village collective economic organization, professional cooperative, and farmers. This model involves unified management of three cooperatives — supply and marketing, planting, and agricultural machinery — within the collective economic organization.

As a traditional agricultural village, Yangjiaozui boasts a superior ecological environment with concentrated and fertile land, suitable for cultivating crops such as rice, wheat and rapeseed. Leveraging its inherent advantages, it has implemented collective economic organization for the management and operation of 69.87 hectares of transferred farmland and 173.33 hectares of other land. In 2023, the village's annual rice production exceeded 450,000 kilograms, while its annual wheat production surpassed 100,000 kg.

"Since changing the work mode, everyone has become more motivated, and the leadership of the Party branch is a main engine driving the rural vitalization," said Wang Xiquan, Party secretary of Yangjiaozui village.

The village has also established its own agricultural product trademark. In 2023, "Yangjiaozui Rice" was officially registered and obtained certification as a pollutant-free agricultural brand. Due to its excellent quality, affordable price and limited production, it was pre-ordered before it even hit the market.

"By printing a unified design on our agricultural product packaging, consumers can easily recognize our village's products at a glance," said Zhang Yunchuan, an official assigned to assist in the village. "With the successful experience of the rice brand, our next step is to also establish brands for flour, cooking oil and other products."

Riding the wave of rural vitalization, the collective economy of Yangjiaozui has rapidly grown. In 2023, it generated a net income of 350,000 yuan ($49,350), with the cumulative balance in the collective economy account reaching nearly 1 million yuan.

Yangjiaozui's development is a microcosm of the successful agricultural and rural reforms in Peng'an county. It has been recognized as an advanced county in rural vitalization in the province, selected as one of the first eight counties nationwide and is the only one in the province to pilot the comprehensive construction of high-standard farmland at the whole county level.

It has also been awarded the title of national "safe agricultural machinery" demonstration county, completed the national pilot project for the overall improvement of the quality of farmer cooperatives, and been listed as a pilot county for construction of a comprehensive supply and marketing service platform for agriculture in the province.

Currently, Peng'an is implementing comprehensive agricultural and rural reforms centered on the "six integrations". Efforts include advancing high-standard farmland construction, promoting green agricultural development, enhancing agricultural mechanization, integrating production processes, replicating the successful development model of Yangjiaozui village, and fostering beautiful and harmonious rural communities.

By 2025, the county aims to transform all eligible basic farmland into high-standard farmland. With a focus on strengthening rural grassroots organizations and boosting the collective economy, Peng'an is committed to creating sustainable, prosperous and aesthetically pleasing rural environments conducive to both living and business activities.

In May of last year, Peng'an was selected as one of the first counties nationwide to pilot the comprehensive promotion of high-standard farmland construction. The project was initiated in September of the same year, with implementation spread over multiple years and a construction period of four years. The project involves both new construction and renovation projects, covering a total area of 29,233 hectares and 237 villages across 21 townships in the county.

Kang Zhigang is a manager of Hongkang farmers' specialized cooperative for crop and livestock farming, one of the beneficiaries of the county's promotion of high-standard farmland construction. According to Kang, in 2023, he leased some 27 hectares of land in Huangjingou village, Xiangru Street, where he used mechanized operations throughout the process to plant rapeseed and wheat. This year, he leased more than 66.67 hectares of land in Zhoukou Street, Muba town, Pingtou township and other areas for mechanized farming. He also secured social service contracts for tasks such as farming, planting and harvesting.

"Previously, these areas were inaccessible by road, making it impossible for large machinery to reach them. Now, with the entire process mechanized, it is all thanks to the construction of high-standard farmland," Kang said.

"After the construction of high-standard farmland, both the land circulation rate and per-mu (0.07 hectares) income have significantly improved."