Chongqing: Rice planting in high gear as farmers trial double cropping

Farming is in full swing in Guni Village, Chongkan Town, Tongnan District of Chongqing, China, as farmers plant rice. 

First, plant protection drones spread basal fertilizer across the paddy fields. Then, tracked rotary tillers move back and forth through the fields, carrying out soil preparation and puddling at a working rate of 5 to 8 mu per hour (about 0.33 to 0.53 hectares per hour). Finally, six-row high-speed rice transplanters set seedlings into the freshly prepared paddies. For local farmers, the completion of transplanting marks a crucial step in rice cultivation. In just over three months, the rice will be ready for harvest, with an expected yield of around 650 kilograms per mu (approximately 9,750 kilograms per hectare).

This year, the area is trialing double-cropping rice cultivation, with transplanting starting about two weeks earlier than usual. In mid-July, after harvesting the first rice crop, farmers will plant the second crop.

As the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges unfolds, CGTN Africa takes you to experience the vibrant spring farming season across China.

Watch: #ChinaNow — Rice planting in high gear as farmers in Chongqing trial double cropping

X: https://x.com/cgtnafrica/status/2042867949296386388

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cgtnafrica/videos/922858177239978

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es51gMTAGZQ

Zhao Yijun of CGTN, and Wu Liming,Liu Dayang of CMG Chongqing Bureau also contributed to the show.