Author: Yu Jiaqiang, Agricultural Instructor of Yunlong Village 

From 2015 to 2018, HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE and Science, Industry and Trading Bureau of Xundian County worked together in Yunnan Xundian Climate-Smart Agriculture Demonstration Project, aiming to reduce the greenhouse gas emission in agricultural production, prevent global warming, improve the technology level of local agricultural production, increase farmers' income and protect the local environment. In the meantime of village training, key training on the agricultural technology, environmental protection knowledge, project management and public benefit activities and publicity were carried out for the agricultural instructors and activists to improve their capabilities and foster them into the agricultural production leader so as to invigorate the continuous and sound development of the village. The following is the 2018 work summary report of Yu Jiaqiang, the agricultural instructor of Yunlong Village. The report describes the process of his learning and growth in the project, as well as the aspirations from himself and the villagers.

The report reads as follows:

Distinguished leaders, guests, friends and colleagues, good morning!

In 2018, supported by Science, Industry and Trading Bureau of Xundian County and Gongshan Township Government, Yunnan Xundian Climate-Smart Agriculture Demonstration Project, the project that has been operated in Hekou Township for three years, was introduced to Yunlong Village of Gongshan Township by HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE with 554 mu of precise and quantitative rice cultivation, covering 302 peasant households and Shangcun Village, Lujia Village, Yujia Village and Xujia Village of Yunlong Village. Two agricultural instructors were hired to assist the project operation in Yunlong Village. I was lucky enough to be one of the agricultural instructors and involved in the project operation. 

Initial training for agricultural instructors 

Zhao Xu of Agricultural Bureau of Xundian County is guiding the villagers with the rice seedling-nursery

From the seed sowing and seedling-nursery in March until harvest in October, the whole growth process of rice was monitored by the Project and rice expert--Zhao Xu of Agricultural Bureau of Xundian County, was employed to conduct training for agricultural instructors and rice growers about the precise and quantitative rice cultivation, water and fertilizer management on field rice, pest control and other planting technologies. In the meantime of planting technology training, the Project also carried out knowledge training on the global warming and environmental protection. A total of 44 training sessions were carried out for 1,349 villagers. 

In order to raise the enthusiasm of households in participating in the project and encourage the adoption of precise and quantitative cultivation, the Project gave out free sowing pesticide to rice growers, 302 bags of compound fertilizer and 600 bags of pesticide (tricyclazole) against rice blast. 

Rice transplanting training 

After multiple in-depth training by agricultural experts, I have gradually mastered the technical essentials for precise and quantitative cultivation of rice, which can be summarized as seedling strengthening, row-spacing expanding, seedling reduction, fertilizer adjustment and water control. The methods of parse seeding and vigorous seedling breeding were adopted for sowing; timely shallow planting, appropriate spacing expanding and single line planting were adopted for the transplanting, which control the population density of field seedlings and promote the growth of rice; and the dry and wet alternate irrigation methods of inches watering for sprouting, shallow water for tillering, field drying and strengthening seeds in moisture environment were adopted for irrigation. These technical measures not only save seeds, labor, irrigation water and reduce the planting cost, but also increase the rice yield and farmers' income.

Driven by the active publicity of agricultural instructors and project activists, most of the farmers in the project were able to plant rice in accordance with the requirements of the precise and quantitative cultivation technology and the rice grew vigorously. Although the continuous precipitations in August of heading and flowering time and the ripening stage in September and October have affected the yield of rice, the average yield per mu still reached 528kg after harvest, an increase of 88kg compared with last year. Rice growers said that they will stick to the precise and quantitative rice cultivation techniques in the future. 

Training for agricultural instructors and project activists 

Next year, the project will provide free rice seeds to peasant households, and continue to support them to adopt precise and quantitative rice cultivation technology. In order to select the high-quality rice variety suitable for Yunlong Village, the Project provides "Dianheyou 34", "Diankunyou 8" and "Yunguang 104" this year for part farmers for trial planting, of which "Dianheyou 34" had a high productivity with yield per mu of 618kg and the other two varieties also had a good performance.  

Training for villagers on the pest control and prevention 

High-quality hybrid rice "Dianheyou 34" for trial planting

The platform of learning and experience-sharing provided by the Project enables us to learn the technology in practice and the guidance from experienced teachers facilitates our understanding and learning on the technologies which will benefit all our lives. The training of pesticide use and environmental protection knowledge carried out by the Project also enhanced farmers' awareness of rational and safe use of pesticides and environmental protection. We should make our hometown a better place that people yearn for and feel happy to live in.

Rice yield estimation 

Finally, I hope that more institutions and groups will do as HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE in fighting along with rural poverty stricken population to improve their living conditions. Here, on behalf of our project-benefiting farmers in Yunlong Village, I sincerely say thank to HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE and I hope that more people will pay attention to and support HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE. 

About the Project:

Since 2015, HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE has operated Climate-Smart Agriculture Demonstration Project in Xiaojie Village and Nuoji Village of Hekou Town, Xundian County, aiming to reduce the greenhouse gas emission in agricultural production, prevent global warming, improve the technology level of local agricultural production, increase farmers' income, improve production and living conditions and protect the local environment. On the grounds of positive effects of climate-smart agriculture project on the ecological environmental preservation and livelihoods guarantee for the local farmers along Niulan River, at the end of 2016, Kunming Wild Environmental Development Research Institute worked together with HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE in gaining the fund support from GEF Small Grants Programme for the Yunnan Xundian Climate-Smart Agriculture Demonstration Project in cooperation with Xundian County, which implemented the "climate-smart agriculture" and expanded the project scope to Yunlong Village of Gongshan Township covering 748 households in 2018. 

Blue Moon Fund, China Merchants Charitable Foundation, HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE Europe, National Geographic Air and Water Conservation Fund, Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme, Kunming Wild Environmental Development Research Institute and Pesticide Eco-Alternatives Center (PEAC) have gave their supports to the project implementation. 

The article represents the author's own opinion only and does not represent the standpoint of the donor.