A farmer prunes a grapevine. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Developing into a satellite town of Shanghai has brought opportunities for Yazhou agriculture, said Yang Rui, Party secretary of Yazhou, a town in Hai'an, Nantong.

Yazhou is a typical agricultural town with 63,000 mu (4,200 hectares) of cultivated land, according to the Party secretary.

He noted that Yazhou town is working to attract agricultural projects and manage its agricultural resources via enterprises and boasts eco-friendly farm produce.

In the past two years, the town has seen the construction of 13 agricultural projects, including five worth 100 million yuan ($14.47 million).

The Nongbo Grapery was brought in by Yazhou in 2016. With advanced planting techniques, the grapery is capable of yielding 750 kilograms of high-quality grapes per mu, increasing the revenue by 30,000 yuan per mu compared to other grapes.

Jiangsu Silkworm and Seed Industry Co Ltd in Hai'an has introduced intelligent sericulture machines, a temperature and humidity control system, and other advanced equipment to boost the modern development of traditional sericulture.

The mulberry orchard managed by the company occupies 800 mu and most of the mulberries are delivered to supermarkets in Shanghai, according to Sui Huibin, who is in charge of the orchard.

With technical support from academician Zhang Hongcheng and his team, Yazhou has also established 500 mu of agricultural bases to produce organic agricultural products.

Thanks to authorities' efforts, the annual operating revenue of all 15 villages in Yazhou has exceeded 500,000 yuan, including three with 1 million yuan in annual operating revenue.