Tianjin’s facility agriculture leads urban agriculture development

To build a coastal urban modern agriculture development order and a stable urban agricultural supply base, Tianjin vigorously developed facility agriculture and achieved remarkable results. As of the end of 2015, the city’s high standard facility agriculture acreage increased to 107,079 acres, aquaculture area reached 102,137 acres, and there were 55 large-scale aquaculture cells. The rapid expansion of facility has laid a solid foundation for Tianjin to develop agriculture with high efficiency.

Under the condition of 0.1 acre of rural per capita arable land, the development of agriculture was prioritized. To mobilize farmers to participate in agricultural infrastructure construction, Tianjin developed encouraging and support policies. In the process of the development of vegetable industry, Tianjin is committed to large-scale development and has formed a vegetable industry belt in Jixian County, a watermelon industry belt in sangzi mushroom industry belt, a vegetable industry belt in Wuqing District, and a vegetable industry belt in Ninghe District.

Tianjin’s agricultural infrastructure construction has achieved an unprecedented high level. First, the high level of planning. In the planning and design, many districts have hired top planning and design units from Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and China Agricultural University for the overall planning and design. According to the principle of local conditions, overall planning, rational distribution, they give full play to the geographical advantages, resources and market advantage, and combine domestic and foreign ideas with local resources. Second, the high level of construction. Agricultural infrastructure construction adheres to the “six haves” standard: there are supporting facilities and production standards products are identified; there are detection equipment; services are well organized; there are sales channels. Third, high technology content. In modern agriculture demonstration park construction, each county emphasizes creative idea to build distinctive agricultural demonstration gardens incorporating production, life and ecology, culture, education and other functions. Meanwhile, they endeavor to demonstrate and promote advanced technology, enhance the scientific and technological achievements conversion capacity, carry out conservation and recycling of resources expand agriculture and leisure tourism function.

Driven by the rapid development of facility agriculture, Tianjin vegetable production increased significantly with increasing varieties. A number of vegetable production enterprises and cooperatives emerged, providing Tianjin vegetable with stability, balance and emergency supply capacity. In addition, for vegetable production safety, Tianjin also invested enormous financial and material resources. The comprehensive sampling pass rate of agricultural products remained stable at 99.4%, sampling qualified rates of pesticides, fertilizers, veterinary drugs and others remained stable at over 98%, which was praised by the Ministry of Agriculture. From 2012, with the completion of the Tianjin facility agriculture “4412” project, Tianjin initiated the “Safe Vegetables” project, which would build 26,667 acres of large-scale, standardized, systemized “Safe Vegetables” in four years.

Tianjin facility agriculture, leading the development of urban agriculture, has effectively promoted farmers’ income and agricultural efficiency, and has become the city’s largest agricultural economic growth point.