An aerial view of the asparagus plantation in Xiyang village, Qidong, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]

Xiyang village in Qidong, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, created an asparagus industry in 2014, which has made residents of the village more prosperous.

Over 40 external rural households constructed more than 700 mu (46.67 hectares) of land in Xiyang village to grow asparagus in 2014 and hired local residents to help pick them, providing jobs for residents of the village.

A local resident picks asparagus in a greenhouse in Xiyang village, Qidong, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]

A local resident surnamed Yang now earns more than 2,000 yuan ($285.1) a month picking asparagus.

Nowadays, the annual yield of asparagus in greenhouses in Xiyang village is about 2,500 kilograms per mu, generating an income of more than 20,000 yuan per mu. The asparagus industry has provided jobs for about 150 surplus workers.

In addition, an asparagus processing base was established in the village in 2014. During peak season, some residents in the village earn a stable income of nearly 20,000 yuan a year by participating in asparagus processing.