Liu Jun, a "new farmer" from Huating Village, Shizhu, explored the "rice-frog symbiosis" model and increased the average benefit per mu by 10 times
2024-08-13
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"Why would you want to raise frogs when you are growing rice?" When Liu Jungang, the head of Chongqing Junhong Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., proposed raising black-spotted frogs, his colleagues and fellow villagers all looked at him in confusion. He succeeded in this unpopular task, and the "frog rice" he grew was even awarded as a Chongqing green agricultural product.
Liu Jun, 48, is from Huating Village, Linxi Town, Shizhu County. In his early years, he and his wife Zeng Hongqun worked in a shoe factory in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. In 2015, in order to take care of the elderly and children, the couple decided to return to their hometown to farm.
At the end of the year, growing rice can barely sustain a living. If Liu Jun wants to give his family a good life, simply farming is definitely not the way to go. How can he get more benefits from the land? Liu Jun set his sights on the "rice-frog symbiosis" model.
"One mu of land can raise 2,500 kilograms of frogs. If one kilogram of frogs is calculated at 20 yuan, one mu of rice field can bring in 50,000 yuan in income just from raising frogs." While working in Wenzhou, Liu Jun found that black-spotted frogs were a popular delicacy in local restaurants. In 2016, he transferred 20 mu of land to raise frogs.
▲The 150-acre "rice-frog symbiosis" planting and breeding base in Huating Village, Linxi Town, Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County. Photo by reporter Zhao Weiping
After continuous exploration and study tours to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Liu Jun expanded the "rice-frog symbiosis" model to 80 acres in 2021 and registered Chongqing Junhong Agricultural Development Co., Ltd.
"Frog fry are released in April, rice is transplanted in May, and the rice is fertile and yellow in August. It does not delay farming time and can also increase income, killing two birds with one stone." Liu Jun said that "rice-frog symbiosis" is an ecological cycle farming model. Simply put, the excrement of black-spotted frogs is used as rice fertilizer, and frogs eat insects. After being raised together with rice, the rice grown is of higher quality and has a better price, realizing dual use of water and double harvest from one field.
Thanks to the excellent quality of rice, the rice from Liu Jun's breeding base has registered the "Qilinba Rice Frog Rice" trademark, and recently obtained green food certification, with its own special packaging and brand. At the same time, the farmed black-spotted frogs have also become a special delicacy on the tables of Chongqing's central urban area and surrounding counties.
As the "rice-frog symbiosis" model becomes increasingly mature, the rice-frog breeding base has also driven employment for surrounding villagers, allowing them to increase their income at their doorstep. There are three villagers who have been working there for a long time, and Cui Bingfang is one of them.
"I work here and earn 3,000 yuan a month, and I get overtime pay if I work overtime. I am responsible for feeding the frogs, weeding, and managing water. There are about 20 days left before the rice is harvested..." Cui Bingfang said that he can earn money and take care of his family by working at his doorstep.
▲The 150-acre "rice-frog symbiosis" planting and breeding base in Huating Village, Linxi Town, Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County. Photo by reporter Zhao Weiping
Today, Liu Jun has successfully explored a new ecological breeding model of "rice-frog symbiosis", which has improved the comprehensive utilization rate of farmland and output benefits, driven the increase in villagers' income, and has become a local specialty industry. Through this model, the current yield per mu is more than 400 kilograms of rice and 2,500 catties of frogs. Calculated at an average price of 20 yuan per catty of frogs, the output value of frogs alone is 50,000 yuan, and the average benefit per mu is more than 40 times that of a single crop, and more than 10 times that of the rice-fish and rice-shrimp models.
Up to now, through the "company + farmers" model, more than 10 farmers have been driven to develop more than 150 acres of "rice-frog symbiosis" breeding bases, achieving an average increase of more than 100,000 yuan per household, becoming a new choice for local farmers to increase their income and become rich.
"In the next step, I would like to continue to expand the scale a little bit, strive to help more villagers increase their income, and make the rice-frog breeding industry bigger and stronger." Liu Jun is full of confidence in future development. He also plans to use "rice field symbiosis" as a carrier to explore a full industrial chain integrating rice-frog planting, breeding, processing, research and study, and tourism, so as to help more fellow villagers increase their income.
