Farmers spray pesticide using UAEs. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The phrase "new quality productive forces" has become a catchword in China this spring. Here is a look at what Jiangsu province's Nantong city is doing to breed and develop new quality productive forces.

Cultivating high-quality seeds to reinforce agricultural foundation. For example, Nantong Zhongjian, a seed breeder of nearly 60 crop species such as rice, wheat, and soybean, has not only supplied qualified seeds, but also provided training on planting techniques to local farmers.

Utilizing technology to empower unmanned and intelligent farms. Kexin Family Farm in Hai'an brought in semi-automatic rice transplanting machines, a fully automatic irrigation system, and unmanned aerial vehicles to reduce labor costs and improve efficiency.

A farmer checks his crop in a greenhouse. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Applying green principles to stimulate the development of modern agriculture. In Nantong, green productivity is the ultimate pursuit of new quality productive forces. Hai'an, for example, is a county specializing in raising livestock. Over 1 million metric tons of manure is produced by livestock and poultry in the county each year. The question of how to deal with the manure was once the trouble of local farmers.

In 2021, Hai'an applied for the national pilot project of green farming and circular agriculture and established 15 social service organizations to offer collection, delivery, and fertilizing services.

Over the past three years, the measure has helped mobilize local farmers to fertilize over 900,000 mu (60,000 hectares) of lands with manure, solving their problem and saving over 30 million yuan ($4.15 million) in the process.