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Local farmers in Yelin village grow acres of asparagus in the greenhouses. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Yelin village in Rugao Economic and Technological Development Zone in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province has seen rapid economic growth due to villagers' continuous efforts to develop its agricultural industry.

The village has made considerable headway in several sectors, including plant growing and aquatic farming. The annual per capita income of residents in the village has reached over 60,000 yuan (around $9,160).

The 15-hectare asparagus field in the village's vegetable garden, which consists of a large number of greenhouses, can produce about 100 metric tons of asparagus a year, said Xu Xiaobing, a local asparagus grower, adding that the field has so far generated sales of more than 2 million yuan this year, with over 400,000 yuan in net profit.

Most of the asparagus is shipped to overseas markets, according to Xu, while a small part of it is sold in the local market or to other cities like Shanghai.

The farm has also employed 26 local residents to irrigate the fields and pick up the asparagus, which bolsters their income.