After selling their own paddy rice, many farmers in Wuchang, Heilongjiang province have begun buying homes in the city.

“I have bought a home, and I am accompanying my relative to buy a home. Over 50 percent of the people in my village have bought homes in the city,” a local villager told CCTV.

To enjoy better education, medical resources and transportation, well-off farmers are increasingly investing in homes in urban centers. The large-scale phenomenon has taken many by surprise, including real estate developers.

According to Liu Zifu, vice general manager of Mingjian Real Estate, 70 to 80 percent of the company's home-buyers this year have been farmers.

Wuchang is a famous rice production area in northeastern China. Its unique location and atmosphere are especially suitable for growing high-quality rice. The rice grown in Wuchang is known for its excellent aroma and pure taste.

Dong Dianjiu, a farmer in the village of Chang'an, planted 40 mu (1 mu is equal to 667 square meters) of rice this year. He is confident that the rice will bring him a higher income next year. His confidence originates from a plan of the local government, which aims to increase the value of the local rice industry from 18 billion RMB to 50 billion RMB in five years. If the plan is successful, Dong is in for a raise of approximately 40,000 to 50,000 RMB.

Dong noted that the government has implemented a series of measures to ensure the authenticity and quality of Wuchang rice. Government authorities have instituted a monitoring system that oversees every stage of rice production. Farmers are only allowed to buy authentic rice seeds using their own ID cards, and chemical fertilizers and high-residue pesticides are banned.

Yi Yanchen, head of the local agriculture bureau, said they even appplied for a sort of national trademark for Wuchang rice. In addition, 10 million RMB has been invested in building a traceability system for the rice.

This year, the purchasing price for rice produced in Wuchang increased to 5 RMB per kilogram, twice that of ordinary rice. The purchasing price for organic rice is 8 to 10 RMB per kilogram. With these prices, local farmers can earn over 3,000 RMB for one mu of paddy rice.