County Magistrate Zhang Jingxia said farmers in Hanjiang had changed traditional farming techniques to take advantage of the commercialization of agriculture in the developing market economy.

The county government has encouraged farmers to make full use of local natural resources to develop various kinds of marketable products, said Zhang.

After careful investigation of the market, flower cultivation and aquaculture have been identified as potentially profitable areas to increase involvement.

To help farmers explore new opportunities, the local government has invested more than 1.6 million yuan (US$200,000) in building an 8,000-square-metre farm to grow flowers for urban consumers.

Statistics indicate that farmers earned a combined income of about 50 million yuan (US$6 million) last year through floriculture, aquaculture and other new farming opportunities.

Zhang said the government recruited specialists from agricultural universities and research institutions to offer guidance and technical advice in areas of cultivation, personnel training and marketing.

The government also appropriated special funds to keep farmers better informed about the latest developments in agricultural science and technology.

Hanjiang is now exporting flowers, fish and fruit to large cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing, as well as countries such as the United States and South Korea.

(China Daily 06/11/2001)