The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province has been promoting the development of agriculture and rural areas, and advancing rural vitalization in recent years.

An aerial photo of modern vegetable greenhouses in a rural area of Qingdao [Photo/dailyqd.com]

The local government's efforts in these areas have paid off. Official statistics show that in 2019, the added value of the city's agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery industries reached 43.62 billion yuan ($6.64 billion), an increase of 5.71 billion yuan, 15 percent higher than in 2015.

Last year, the per capita disposable income of the city's rural residents reached 22,573 yuan, an increase of 34.9 percent compared to 2015, thus achieving the goal of "doubling" the 2010 figure ahead of schedule.

The city has prioritized the development of its agricultural industry and rural areas with the aim of achieving agricultural modernization by 2035.

Hou Songshan, a farmer in Pingdu, a county administered by Qingdao, recently completed a harvest of about 266.67 hectares of corns.

"The net income of planting corn alone this year was two million yuan," said Hou.

As a large-scale grain planter, Hou feels that the country has invested heavily in bolstering agricultural production in recent years, with more and more supportive policies and measures being rolled out.

Farmers harvest corns in Qingdao. [Photo/dailyqd.com]

"With the support of local government, I have set up an agricultural mechanical cooperative, which upgrades facilities every year to boost farming efficiency," said Hou, adding that advanced machinery and large-scale farming have greatly increased local farmers' incomes.

Qingdao has made greater efforts to boost the innovation of agricultural science and technology, as well as leverage modern agricultural facilities to lower production costs and improve efficiency.

In 2019, the city's comprehensive agricultural mechanization level reached 88.5 percent, 5.4 percentage points higher than five years ago and 18.5 percentage points higher than the national average.

The beautiful countryside of Qingdao [Photo/dailyqd.com]