Huaxi: benchmark of modern urban agricultural development

Farmhands from Jiuan township in Huaxi district pick tea leaves. [Photo/huaxi.gov.cn]

Huaxi district in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, has strengthened industrial planning and improved agricultural infrastructure construction in recent years, becoming a benchmark for the development of the modern urban agricultural industry.

Huaxi has conducted a comprehensive survey of unique agricultural products in the district and formulated a development plan to improve the quality of local agricultural products, expand the scale of efficient vegetable cultivation, and expand leading enterprises.

The district has created regional public brands such as Huaxiaomei (strawberry) and Huaxiaotao (yellow peach) and improved the branding of watermelon in Maling township, tea in Jiuan township, Zhaosi Tribute Tea, and black haired pig in Gaopo township, increasing the popularity of its farm produce. 

The regional public brand Huaxiaomei has transformed the development of Huaxi's agricultural products and is a leader in the transformation and upgrading of local agriculture.

Huaxi has issued a series of plans and implemented 16 strawberry industrial projects. Through investment promotions and the introduction of elevated strawberry planting technology, the district has built the largest three-dimensional indoor strawberry cultivation base in the province, established a strawberry freeze-drying processing center, and developed more than 10 foods made from strawberries.

Huaxi has also accelerated agricultural modernization and completed construction on a pepper processing center, a chive sorting center, and a standardized strawberry planting base.

In 2021, the output value of agricultural product processing in the district reached 19.89 billion yuan ($3.07 billion).

As urban residents are increasingly interested in the simplicity of rural cuisine, Huaxi is working to promote local specialties and has launched rural tourism, fruit picking and sightseeing and farming experience routes to integrate the development of agriculture and tourism.