Quality farmland means higher grain yields. With the spring plowing season approaching, localities across Hunan are accelerating the construction of high-standard farmland. According to the Hunan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the province plans to complete the construction of more than 3 million mu (approximately 200,000 hectares) of high-standard farmland this year, of which 1.83 billion yuan was invested in January alone.

In Liulan Village, Liyuan Town, Yizhang County, Chenzhou City, a 136-mu (9.07-hectare) tract of newly completed high-standard farmland stretches flat and open. According to staff member, construction began last November, with up to 20 excavators operating simultaneously during peak periods. The project is now nearly finished, and supporting facilities such as irrigation ditches are scheduled for full completion by the end of March, in time for this year's spring plowing. Tan Guicheng, a major grain grower in Liulan Village who has leased this land, noted that after "converting small plots into larger ones," not only has mechanical farming become more convenient, but the actual cultivated area has also expanded by over 10 mu (0.667 hectares).

In recent years, Hunan has placed great emphasis on high-standard farmland construction, raising funds through multiple channels and implementing full-process supervision to ensure quality. The province has actively explored models such as "build first, subsidize later", and fully adopted digital supervision measures including automated bidding systems and facial recognition for staff attendance. These practices have been highly recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and replicated across the country. The newly built high-standard farmland is resilient to both drought and flood, saving costs and increasing efficiency by more than 200 yuan per mu (about 0.067 hectares) on average, driving Hunan's grain production capacity to new heights.

Proper construction is only the first step and effective management ensures long-term benefits. Localities have addressed the common challenge of "valuing construction over maintenance" by introducing innovative maintenance models. For example, Liuyang City has brought in financial institutions to enhance management quality; Wangcheng District of Changsha City is actively piloting high-standard farmland construction led by large-scale grain farmers; Anxiang County has assigned maintenance responsibilities to village cadres and contracted large growers; and Daoxian County has established a three-tier management responsibility system, forming a "five-responsibility" mechanism (assigning specific personnel to cover areas, villages, sections, canals, and roads).

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.  

Translator: Zhan Ping

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn