Author: Xiang Songjun

With the weather gradually turning warm in March Xundian, the fields beside the Niulan River are full of vitality. In the rice-broad bean rotation field in Changjiaba Village, although the earlier frost weather has greatly affected the growth of broad bean, the broad beans still bear a lot and bring villagers the joy of bumper harvest with the more standardized planting method and sufficient farmyard manure. At the time of bumper harvest being in sight, the hard-working villagers have started the spring sowing to prepare for the next harvest.

Broad beans in rice-broad beans rotation in Changjiaba Village

Villagers in Changjiaba Village and surrounding villages with better irrigation conditions are all getting ready for rice cultivation. Although the Project will be phased out gradually in 2018, and the support for farmers in precise and quantitative rice cultivation will be reduced, after the promotion of precise and quantitative cultivation techniques from 2015 to 2017, villagers have recognized the advantages of precise quantitative rice cultivation techniques in saving planting costs and increasing production. So in this year, the rice growers will stick to precise and quantitative rice cultivation techniques for rice cultivation. Supported by the Project, a total of 107 rice growers conducted the unified procurement of 839kg rice seeds for planned 184.9 mu of rice field, of which 80% was funded by the Project and 20% was raised by the growers themselves, covering the varieties of general Daochujing No. 28 and hybrid Diankunyou 8. In this unified procurement plan, the whole procurement activities including variety discussion, inquiry, purchase and distribution, were dominated by the villagers, which not only reduced the cost of rice seeds, but also improved villagers' organizational ability and made the project more sustainable. 

On March 13, rice seeds were distributed in Changjiaba Village after unified procurement

On March 27, farmers sowed rice

After procurement, the farmers began to sort out the rice fields and prepare for planting, and the project also provided free seeds and herbicides for the farmers. The project staff guided farmers on seeds pregermination and field weeding during sowing. Rice sowing was completed by the end of March. The project will continue to guide farmers on seedling management and breeding, laying a solid foundation for the development of precise and quantitative rice cultivation.

Rice sowing in Changjiaba Village completed on 27 March. 

About the Project:

Yunnan Xundian Climate-Smart Agriculture Demonstration Project is funded by the GEF Small Grants Programme supported by the United Nations Development Programme, which is located in Xundian Yi and Hui Autonomous County, Kunming City, Yunnan Province. The project was launched on October 31, 2016 and lasted for a period of two years. The project is affiliated to the Kunming Wild Environmental Development Research Institute, which is operated by HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE who works with local villagers to promote crop production, increase income, and cope with climate warming.

The project is to train villagers on response strategies for climate change, advocate actions to reduce carbon emissions, improve the capacity of 200 households, local government agencies and other beneficiaries, promote land management and climate-smart agriculture for sustainable agriculture, improve crop production and income of farmers, increase the carbon content of soil, reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, and promote the healthy development of land and local ecology through agricultural planting diversification, interplanting and straw cultivation.

The Project is funded by the GEF Small Grants Programme supported by the United Nations Development Programme.

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