A laying hen farm in Hai'an. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Over the past four decades, agriculture in Nantong, Jiangsu province, has evolved from prioritizing yield to focusing on efficiency, and farmers in the city have transitioned from basic subsistence to a pursuit of a better quality of life.

Hai'an, a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Nantong, is the second-largest Chinese county for laying hen farming. In recent years, the county has actively explored an industrial management model to improve its competitiveness in the poultry and egg sector.

Small eggs have sparked a vast poultry and egg industry in Hai'an that includes seedling breeding, feed processing, laying hen farming, egg processing, organic fertilizer production, and R&D. The output value of the industrial chain in the county has surpassed 10 billion yuan ($1.38 billion) per year.

Nantong is a key area in the development of Jiangsu's aquaculture industry. In 1970, the output of aquatic products in the city was 81,000 metric tons. The output value of the fishery industry was 392.49 million yuan, accounting for 10.61 percent of the city's total agricultural output.

In recent years, Nantong has advanced the digital fishery by establishing digital fishing grounds and intelligent fishponds. Its aquaculture has accordingly expanded into more sectors, such as aquatic product processing and entertainment. Last year, the total output value of the fishery industry in the city totaled 56.07 billion yuan.

Nantong authorities have also focused on improving living environments in rural areas over the past 40 years. Blue skies, clear waters, and tidy courtyards represent the new look of countryside in the city.

Moving forward, the city will continue vitalizing rural areas and accelerate the high-quality development of its agriculture industry.