Home > What's New > Latest

Lotus industry brings prosperity to Baimaqiao

By | nxiang.net| Updated:  Aug 25,2021 L M S
In recent years, some communities including Renfu and Bailong in Baimaqiao Subdistrict, Ningxiang city have been cultivating lotus. It not only improves the soil, increases the income for collective economy and villagers, but also adds beauty to Weijiang River.

When walking into the vast lotus field, you will see green lotus leaves, pink and white lotus flowers swaying on the river.

Since this year, Baimaqiao Subdistrict has guided rural communities to develop high-efficiency agriculture, and Renfu community has sought for talents in multiple ways. Qin Shuming, a large grain grower who contracted nearly 1,000 mu (66.7 hectares) of good farmland, began to plant lotus. He also transferred farmland in Zhenzhou Isle to develop ecological agriculture and sightseeing tour industry combining agriculture and tourism.

“You can see blooming lotus flowers, fresh lotus seeds and delicious lotus fish in my lotus pond.” Standing on the ridge winding into the lotus pond, Qin Shuming said that the business model of “cooperative plus base plus farmer” can not only help the rural surplus labor force to work near their homes, but also expand the collective economy, improve people’s income and living standards, and create a pleasant living environment, a prosperous industry and a wealthy life.  

Some local paddy fields have been adjusted to crop rotation and fallow system. Farmers can get rental income by renting paddy fields to cooperatives, and can also get wages from weeding, applying fertilizer and picking lotus in cooperatives.

At present, nearly 50 villagers work here, and they can earn nearly 200 yuan a day. Wang Zhongyu, a 50-odd-year-old farmer, could not do heavy physical work for his poor health condition. He could earn nearly 20,000 yuan a year by watching water and weeding in Xianglian Base.  
 
It’s worth noting that lotus is a perennial aquatic plant. Planting lotus can reduce the content of phosphorus and nitrogen in water, increase the content of dissolved oxygen in water, purify and improve water quality. Meanwhile, lotus leaves, stems and flower petals are good organic matters after decaying in water to improve the soil.

What’s more, raising chickens, ducks and geese on sides of the lotus pond can not only kill pests, and their feces are organic manure, which reduces the use of pesticides and fertilizers and improves the soil hardening.

Thus, we can see that planting lotus can achieve many things. It’s a golden bowl for the collective economy to increase income and the villagers to get rich.

Hunan Hexiang Zuiren Agriculture Co., Ltd. was introduced in Songxi’an natural village, Bailong community. Xianglian Base adopts the mode of “farmers (land shares) plus communities (seedlings and management shares) plus branch talents (capital shares)”. The villagers voluntarily provide their fields to the community in the form of shares for lotus cultivation, and the community will give villagers equity dividends according to a certain proportion of annual profits.

Zhu Qingzhen, general Party branch of Bailong Community, said that the base takes three years as a cycle to plant lotus roots, and the estimated output value reaches nearly 1.37 million yuan. The natural village will work hard to comprehensively increase villagers’ income, promote the development of collective economy and rural revitalization, and paint a magnificent picture of beautiful scenery, and people living and working in contentment.

Visitors can drive from Changsha along Yuening Avenue to Baimaqiao Subdistrict, or from Jinzhou Avenue to 2nd Ring Road to Baimaqiao Subdistrict, or get off the Ningxiangdong Toll Station of Changsha-Changde highway and enter the 2nd Ring Road to Baimaqiao Subdistrict via Ningxiang Avenue.
Recommended scenic areas: Songxi’an lotus base in Bailong community, Xianglian lotus base in Renfu community, Zhenzhou Isle, Liuzi Isle, Eel Isle, Baima Lake, Zhenglong Ancient Street, etc.

Tourists can taste delicious good in the characteristic restaurants such as Laocaidi, Old Ningxiang, as well as Wuyue Square integrating entertainment, shopping and catering.