A farmer harvests rice in a field in Rugao on Nov 3. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, has cultivated 690,000 mu (46,023 hectares) of high-standard farmland as part of its efforts to promote the transformation and upgrading of the local agricultural industry, local media reported.

In Shiziqiao village, efforts include cultivating 150 mu of farmland, building 5.5 kilometers of paths for tractors, and dredging 6.64 kilometers of irrigation canals and ditches in 2019.

"Neat rows of crops have replaced the patch-like fields. This has not only enhanced the village's image, but also improved irrigation efficiency," said Hua Aimei, a senior official of the Rugao bureau of agriculture and rural affairs.

According to Hua, the construction of high-standard farmland has helped increase the village's combined income by 750,000 yuan ($108,675).

At the Fuxin family farm in Hexing village, 280 mu of rice have entered the harvest season. The output is expected to hit 650 kilogram per mu.

The farm has adopted wholly-automated production since 2017, thus greatly mitigating the impact that weather has on planting, harvesting and drying.

A variety of selenium-rich products in the farm, including rice, vegetables and fruits, have also won municipal, provincial and even national honors for their high quality.