Why has "rice blossom fragrance says a good year" become a common picture in Xinjiang?

Urumqi, March 3 (Zhongxin Net) -- People generally know that places where rice is planted will always give people the impression of "abundant water resources," and think of Jiangnan water towns with four seasons like spring and a pleasant climate. But in Xinjiang, where the desert Gobi and glaciers and snow are abundant, rice is also grown on a large scale, and there is no lack of high-yielding varieties, do you know?

From the coast of the East China Sea to the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, will rice be unsatisfactory?

At present, except Hami City and Turpan City, 12 other prefectures in Xinjiang have rice cultivation, and the average mu yield of rice in Xinjiang is 470 kg, while the average mu yield of rice in Xinjiang has reached 650 kg, far higher than the national average.

On October 2022, 10, the golden rice fields in Wensu County, Xinjiang, were endless, with a rich rice fragrance, and ripe and plump rice ears were bent over. Photo by Ding An

The rice produced in Xinjiang not only has a high yield, but also has a good quality. In November 2021, at the 11nd International Rice Tasting Conference China Qualifier and China (Yingkou) High-quality Rice Culture Festival, 13 rice samples from 84 provinces, autonomous regions and 544 high-quality rice producing areas across the country gathered in Yingkou, Liaoning Province, after a series of tests and tasting by professional judges, and finally, 17 rice samples from Xinjiang and other places had outstanding taste and won the gold medal of the International Rice Tasting Competition in China. Among them is Wensu rice in the Aksu region of Xinjiang.

Wensu County in Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang is rich in high-quality rice. In the past 10 years, the county has selected and approved 46 new rice varieties, and made breakthroughs in yield, quality and resistance, and cultivated varieties such as New Rice No. 11, New Rice No. 36, New Rice No. 42, and New Japonica No. 1 have become the main varieties of rice in northern and southern Xinjiang, with an average mu yield of 650 kg and the highest yield exceeding 1000,<> kg.

Xinjiang Wensu rice has uniform particles, bright color, good transparency, large oiliness, and the steamed rice has a delicate aroma, soft taste, moderate elasticity, sweet aftertaste, and cold rice does not come back.

The fields of towns and villages in Wensu County, Xinjiang, are busy with a bumper harvest. Photo by Ding An

Where is the confidence in planting rice under Tomur Peak?

Wensu County in Xinjiang is located at the southern foot of Tomur Peak in the middle of the Tianshan Mountains in the west and the northwest edge of the Tarim Basin. There are 15 giant peaks above 6000,7435 meters in its territory, and the highest peak of the Tianshan Mountains, Tomur Peak, is 3.<> meters above sea level. The snow and ice melt on the mountain and form rivers.

It is a warm temperate continental climate, rich in heat and sufficient sunshine, with an average daily sunshine of up to 16 hours and an average frost-free period of 227 days... The above factors have formed favorable natural conditions for the accumulation of rice nutrients and the improvement of product quality.

Wensu County has a long history of rice cultivation, according to historical records, Wensu began to cultivate rice during the High Tang Dynasty, and the fragrant rice of Wensu in the Qing Dynasty paid tribute to the imperial court. The aroma of Wensu rice is pure and rich, and it has the praise of "blooming in one place and fragrant, and the family cooking and fragrant".

In recent years, the local government has concentrated rice production in selenium-rich belts, good water source conditions and relatively perfect farmland facilities, forming the main high-quality rice producing areas with Tohula Township, Chagla Township and Agele Town as the core, and four townships (towns) such as Tovkhan Town and Communist Youth League Town as supplementary rice auxiliary production areas, and the rice planting area has remained at about 4,10 mu all year round, accounting for more than <>% of the total rice planting area in Aksu Prefecture, and is also in the forefront in Xinjiang's rice planting area.

In early October 2022, rice was harvested in Wensu County, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang. Photo by Zhao Xinchang

The time and place are favorable, "rice has a prospect"

With the blessing of all parties, Wensu County in Xinjiang formulated the "Wensu County Rice Industry Chain Cultivation and Development Plan", focusing on the three important links of production, processing and sales, and drawing a map of the cultivation of the whole rice industry chain.

Locally, support and encourage the "chain master" enterprise - Kunto Rice Industry to invest 1 million yuan to introduce domestic leading intelligent and modern rice processing equipment, guide 5 enterprises (cooperatives) such as Xiangyu Rice, Runfeng Grain and Oil, and Harasu Farmers' Professional Cooperatives to actively participate in the construction of the whole rice industry chain, and gradually form enterprise brands with market influence such as "Kunto", "Tianshan Xue", "Xiangyu" and "Jintuofeng".

Wensu County also relies on the "190 cities and 30 stores" project in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, and continues to promote the construction of two networks of rice "purchase in Xinjiang and sales outside Xinjiang", creating 700 export platforms, and all rice products are sold. At present, the local fine rice market has radiated to more than <> large and medium-sized cities and more than <> shopping malls and supermarkets in Xinjiang, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian and Guangdong, and the supply of products exceeds the demand.

It is understood that the local government has built a "rice +" industry development pattern, taken advantage of the opportunity of the development of tourism in the whole region, given full play to the advantages of rice planting and location according to local conditions, done a good job in rural revitalization "rice +" articles, and used science and technology, tourism, breeding and other cultivation of new momentum for the development of the rice industry.

At present, Wensu County has built one "rice +" industrial demonstration village integrating agriculture, culture and tourism, investing more than 1,30 yuan to build 46 mu of rice fields into a straw element theme park, guiding farmers to increase their per capita income by more than 3000,<> yuan through the development of farmhouses, special catering, cultural performances, folk crafts and other ways. Today, rice has become a characteristic advantageous industry for Wensu to achieve agricultural efficiency and increase farmers' income. (End)