A 55-year-old industry was almost swallowed up by urbanization, and eventually hit 2. 5 million hard on the streets. The rise and decline of fresh water celery is a microcosm of how traditional agriculture survives in urbanization。
Fifty years ago, a piece of paper decided to plant a plume
In 1971, village-based cadres went to the village of sae hong to help them with crouches, which were followed by the introduction of pelicans from zangzhou quan. The villagers initially suspected that they would try to plant a few acres and found that the acre production had reached nearly 10,000 pounds, which was expanded in the following year. Liu yongjie was grown on an official scale in 1980 and has been growing for more than 50 years. He now has 50 acres of land on his hands。
The more families follow the pelicans, the greater the village becomes the base of aquatic vegetables. Subsequently, the "enjoying the waterport" trademark was centrally registered, certified as a non-hazardous agricultural product and included in the provincial demonstration base for aquatic vegetable chain development projects. This paragraph is included in the nandong county law, the tunzhou city law, and it is rare in south china for a village to have plumes。
Townization has squeezed the old base
In the first half of the year, construction began in the golden sand project area and in the small town of flowers, and a piece of agricultural land was converted into a site and a parkSerpent cultivationThe area has been cut in half. Added to the increase in labour costs from dozens of dollars a day in 2010 to $1,200, the profits of the pelicans were consumed in most cases, and a number of farmers moved directly to the sites and factories。
The pick, pick and wash of the plume is done by humans, and an acre of plume produces nearly 10,000 pounds, less to say four or five jobs. Liu yongjie earns $5. 6 million a year alone, and his family can barely afford it. Old bases are scattered, irrigation is weather-dependent, channels are ageing, management costs are much higher than new ground, and benefits less than a year。
Two million dollars on the street to get the base back
On the north side of the land, the jinsha street has created a new 200-acre base, with a one-time investment of $2. 5 million, which is accompanied by pumping stations, channels and air-croping roads, to complete the infrastructure. At the same time, the cost of the water contract has been reduced so that growers are less expensive and less expensive. Currently, 15 large growers are in place and the new base has returned to its premises in the first two years。
The secretary-general of the party for the entry of the village of sae hong said that this step in the streets was to protect traditional industries. New base channels are open, pumping stations are automated, and growers do not have to repair their own water and concentrate on field management. Contract fees have been reduced, large households have been able to expand and small households have entered, and the overall cultivation has been much more aggressive than old bases。
A basket of celery sold to shanghai suzhou
The market for pelicans in fresh ports is not limited to the south, and goods are available in the wholesale markets of large and medium cities in shanghai and suzhou. The wholesale price is between $1. 8 and $2 per pound, and the volume comes up after the cold and the price can increase by another two cents. Liu yongjie was able to pick up 1,500 pounds and pull them out of the truck, producing more than 400,000 pounds in 50 acres a year。
At $1. 80 a pound, the annual revenue will reach $720,000, minus $5. 6 million in artificial capacity, tens of thousands of dollars in seed fertilizer, and the net profit is not strong but stable. Liu yongjie said that a plume that did not pick up land and did not occupy the drylands could grow by water, and that for the remaining water resources in the village, it was a compromise less than the fish threshold and more expensive to grow rice。
Declare geographical markers and add brand names
The specialized technical association for celery in freshport is preparing the declaration of geographical indications of agricultural produce. Nii xiaoyan, deputy director-general of the department of rural and social affairs of street agriculture, said that planting had been in place for 50 years, with stable varieties, a concentration of production, and conditions for declaration were in place。
Once the geographical markers are taken, entry to a fresh port is not an ordinary wholesale, but rather a home brand with certification of origin, which can be sold at a higher price. As a result, the street programme has increased its outreach and branding, expanding cultivation from 200 acres to a real value-added pocket。
Why do old growers keep doing it
From 1971 to 2026, fresh water has been running for 55 years. It was cut down by urbanization, pressed by labour costs and frozen by the market, but it remained intact. The core reasons are not complex: a basket of plume is moved from the field to a truck, sold from the south to shanghai suzhou, with short chains, fast cash flows and small farmers。
Rural revitalizationNot only new industries and new ways, but 50 years of old crafts and old brands are equally valuable. The path of completing the infrastructure, removing the geographical markers and planting norms could be followed for many more years. The point is not to let old varieties be completely cut off in urbanization。
Did you grow traditional crops in your hometown for 20 or 30 years? How much did you lose in the new industry? It would be welcome to say in the comment area that if it was found useful, it would be useful to give it to the growers around it。
