Rice paddies find a niche in urban sprawl
August 28, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI lost much of its traditional rice paddies to urban sprawl, but now at least one district in the city is trying to save at least some of its farmland from the bulldozer.
Pujiang Town opened its new Expo Seal ecological paddy rice farm to the public on August 4.
Located in the town's Guangji Village, the farm was designed and planted by the Minhang Agricultural Committee, the Pujiang Government and the Shanghai Chuangbo Modern Natural Agriculture Group.
The rice was first cultivated in the southern island province of Hainan last November, and in June the entire crop was transported to Minhang and replanted.
The rice farm sports an Expo logo and four Chinese characters that translated as "Minhang Agriculture."
Including this area are 195,000 square meters of farmland. Chuangbo is gradually establishing a Chinese Rice Culture Garden there.
In the future, this farm will not only be a sign of the World Expo concept of modern agriculture, but also a symbol of Minhang's best ecological foot forward.
A rice paddy is actually an artificial wetland. In addition to growing rice, it helps prevent floods, promotes the recirculation of underground water and improves the water quality.
The Expo Seal signifies the Shanghai World Expo concept of creating low-carbon, environmentally-friendly modern agriculture.
Combining these concepts in practice, every hectare of farmland is capable of producing 975 kilograms of humus every year, with annual carbon dioxide emissions dropping by 20 tons a hectare.
These farming concepts also reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides by half.
Average production at the Expo Seal farm increased by 10 percent, compared with the yields in other fields. The ecologically produced rice is also very popular in markets, selling at 16 yuan (US$2.40) per kilo.
Minhang is in the throes of rapid urbanization. The question that urban planners face is: How to deal with large areas of farmlands in the path of urban sprawl?
Minhang officials think they have the answer: develop ecological agriculture, making it one important part of the city's diversity.
In the future, such farms will serve as natural agriculture parks in the city, giving meaning to the Expo slogan "better city, better life."
Pujiang Town opened its new Expo Seal ecological paddy rice farm to the public on August 4.
Located in the town's Guangji Village, the farm was designed and planted by the Minhang Agricultural Committee, the Pujiang Government and the Shanghai Chuangbo Modern Natural Agriculture Group.
The rice was first cultivated in the southern island province of Hainan last November, and in June the entire crop was transported to Minhang and replanted.
The rice farm sports an Expo logo and four Chinese characters that translated as "Minhang Agriculture."
Including this area are 195,000 square meters of farmland. Chuangbo is gradually establishing a Chinese Rice Culture Garden there.
In the future, this farm will not only be a sign of the World Expo concept of modern agriculture, but also a symbol of Minhang's best ecological foot forward.
A rice paddy is actually an artificial wetland. In addition to growing rice, it helps prevent floods, promotes the recirculation of underground water and improves the water quality.
The Expo Seal signifies the Shanghai World Expo concept of creating low-carbon, environmentally-friendly modern agriculture.
Combining these concepts in practice, every hectare of farmland is capable of producing 975 kilograms of humus every year, with annual carbon dioxide emissions dropping by 20 tons a hectare.
These farming concepts also reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides by half.
Average production at the Expo Seal farm increased by 10 percent, compared with the yields in other fields. The ecologically produced rice is also very popular in markets, selling at 16 yuan (US$2.40) per kilo.
Minhang is in the throes of rapid urbanization. The question that urban planners face is: How to deal with large areas of farmlands in the path of urban sprawl?
Minhang officials think they have the answer: develop ecological agriculture, making it one important part of the city's diversity.
In the future, such farms will serve as natural agriculture parks in the city, giving meaning to the Expo slogan "better city, better life."
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