China on the move: Benefit from land circulation

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Agriculture is a big part of Chinese life and the Chinese economy. Anhui Province is the center of several rural reforms. Reporter Xu Zhaoqun travelled to Anhui to see how farmers are now using arable land in different ways as they adapt to changing policies.

At this time of the year, Gao Xing's only job is to inspect the rice flourishing in his 40 hectares of fields.

Seven years ago, Gao was no different from any other farmers in this province. The yield on the small patch of field assigned to his family was only a few thousand yuan a year. Now, he is the richest farmer in the village, managing the largest area of rice fields, most of which are "circulated" from his neighbors.

Gao Xing said, "After paying the circulation fee to my fellow villagers, my income is still considerable. it's almost twenty times what I earned ten years ago. Intensive farming is much better than individual ones."

Gao is not the richest in the area with his traditional way of farming.

A company signed a land contract with Gao's neighbouring village and set up a farm raising tortoise, which is traditionally considered very nutritious and tonic, especially for man.

The males in the village dig more pools in their fields, for raising more tortoises, and their wives are all employed by the company to look after Jiaobai, an aquatic vegetable much more expensive than grains.

Ms Wang, villager of Sanhe Town of Anhui Province, said, "Being an employee is of course much better than planting rice. I just come and leave on time, get paid every month, don't have to worry about the details."