Eco-agriculture and Eco-tourism Power Nanchang’s Green Development
The Nanchang Municipal Government has designated Jinxian County its “demonstration base” for low-carbon agriculture and eco-tourism. Qinglan Organic Plant Co., Ltd. is only one of a multitude of companies committed to eco-agriculture in the county.
Nanchang is endowed with exceptionally favorable natural conditions for the pilot application of eco-agricultural techniques: a subtropical climate, humidity, and a short, frost-free winter. All these are ideal natural conditions for farming.
Many counties in Nanchang count among the most important agricultural production regions of Jiangxi Province. They contribute substantially to the national grain output.
The proposed slogan for Nanchang’s green development drive sounds like the usual propaganda – “Forest City, Garden Nanchang.” But it’s pleasantly surprising to find that the slogan is actually a fair description of the city nowadays. Nanchang is surrounded by rolling mountains covered with lush vegetation, and the lakes and wetlands dotting the landscape complete the scene. It’s a breath of fresh air.
Statistics confirm Nanchang’s green credentials. Of the 7,400 square kilometers under its jurisdiction, 42 percent is covered by green vegetation, with a further one third occupied by bodies of water. Poyang Lake, located to the north of the city, is the biggest freshwater lake in China and a birdwatchers’ paradise.
Jinxian County itself is home to Junshan Lake. The 210-square-kilometer body is a big tourist attraction, and 100,000 visitors come to its shores annually during the holidays.
Since Nanchang became one of China’s eight pilot cities for low-carbon development in 2010, the municipal government has adopted many measures to promote the development of eco-agriculture. As a demonstration base for green agriculture, Jinxian County is the pioneer of environment-friendly planting techniques in the city. Once success is achieved in Jinxian, techniques are adopted throughout the province, and even across the country.
In Nanchang’s 12th Five-year (2011-2015) Plan for Social and Economic Development, green agriculture is held up as one of six “pillar” sectors for the city’s future development. The others are electric vehicles, environment-friendly household appliances, environmental protection equipment, green building materials and civil aviation products.
“We focus on two aspects in developing environment-friendly agriculture, namely using organic fertilizer in agricultural production, and promoting the production and use of marsh gas among rural families as a form of clean energy,” Wu Yongming told China Today. Wu is director of the Science and Technology Department at the Nanchang Agriculture Bureau. “The new fertilizing techniques we use help us make sure that the amount and kind of organic fertilizer being applied are compatible with the local soil,” Wu explained.
Wu said that by the end of 2011 the agriculture bureau had completed soil analysis across the entire 270,000 hectares of farmland in Nanchang, and that special fertilizer had been adopted for use on 177,000 hectares. Application of the new fertilizing techniques has increased the output value of farmland by RMB 30 per mu (0.0667 hectares) on average.
The municipal government has been keen to spread knowledge of the advantages of eco-agriculture. It has held many training courses to help local farmers master the new organic fertilizing techniques. “We’ll continue to take a variety of measures to promote organic fertilizer, and also encourage the exploitation of natural waste like farm-yard manure,” Wu said.
Marsh gas production and utilization also play a key role in the promotion of green energy. “Currently Nanchang has an annual marsh gas production capacity of 14 million cubic meters, enough to meet the energy demands of 180,000 citizens. By the end of 2011, 43,000 households had become marsh gas users,” Wu told China Today.
“Nowadays, many farmers in Jinxian are also using marsh gas,” added Zhou Yong, director of the Information Office of Jinxian County.
