Pic story: major producer of hybrid rice seeds in Cengong County, SW China

Chen Liangdong presents harvested rice seeds in a hybrid rice seed breeding base in Cengong County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

As autumn arrives, the rice fields turn golden. Chen Liangdong has invited a professional harvesting team from Henan Province to harvest the hybrid rice seeds on his farm. Looking at the abundant rice seeds, he was overjoyed.

Chen, who is 61, is a major producer of hybrid rice seeds in Cengong County. He used to work as a construction worker in the county for many years. In 2012, Chen returned to his village and took over the idle land of the villagers to produce hybrid rice seeds. From spring to autumn, he is busy with tilling, sowing, mulching, transplanting, fertilizing, pollinating, and other tasks. Every year, he provides jobs for more than 100 households in the surrounding villages.

Cengong County is a national rice seed production county with 47 years of history in hybrid rice seed production. As part of its rural revitalization efforts, the county has designated the hybrid rice seed planting as a leading industry. Every year, the county supplies over 8 million kilograms of high-quality rice seeds to the market, effectively boosting the income and employment opportunities of local farmers.

Chen Liangdong talks with a harvester driver in a hybrid rice seeds field in Cengong County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Chen Liangdong wipes sweat while working in a hybrid rice seeds field in Cengong County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Chen Liangdong loads harvested rice seeds onto a truck in Cengong County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

This combo photo shows Chen Liangdong showcasing germinated rice seeds on April 6, 2023 (upper L), transplanting rice seedlings on May 29, 2023 (upper R), inspecting rice pollination on Aug. 1, 2023 (lower L) and displaying harvested rice seeds on Aug. 26, 2023 in Cengong County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Chen Liangdong checks on the drying condition of hybrid rice seeds at a processing workshop in Cengong County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Chen Liangdong (L) checks on the drying condition of hybrid rice seeds at a processing workshop in Cengong County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

This combo photo shows (from L to R) Chen Liangdong leveling the field on April 6, 2023, transplanting rice seedlings on May 29, 2023, holding a bamboo pole to pollinate the rice for seed production on Aug. 1, 2023, and showcasing harvested rice seeds on Aug. 26, 2023, in a hybrid rice seed breeding base in Xinchang Village of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

This combo photo (from top to bottom) shows villagers planting seeds on April 7, 2023, transplanting rice seedlings on May 29, 2023 and manually pollinating hybrid rice on Aug. 1, 2023 in Chen Liangdong's hybrid rice seed breeding base in Xinchang Village of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

This aerial photo taken on April 6, 2023 shows a hybrid rice seed breeding base in Xinchang Village of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Chen Liangdong and his daughter-in-law load harvested rice seeds onto a truck in Xinchang Village of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Chen Liangdong soaks rice seeds to prepare for hybrid rice seedling cultivation in Cengong County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Chen Liangdong (front) and villagers transplant rice seedlings in a hybrid rice seed breeding base in Xinchang Village of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Chen Liangdong arranges harvested hybrid rice seeds at a processing workshop in Cengong County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

This photo taken on April 6, 2023 shows the hybrid rice seeds prepared by Chen Liangdong for seedling cultivation in Xinchang Village of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 26, 2023 shows harvesters working in a hybrid rice seeds field in Cengong County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Chen Liangdong (front) and villagers level the field at a hybrid rice seed breeding base in preparation for planting in Xinchang Village of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Chen Liangdong checks on the growth of seeds at a hybrid rice seeds field in Cengong County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Chen Liangdong manually pollinates hybrid rice in the seed breeding base using bamboo poles in Xinchang Village of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 1, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)