How a High-Quality Seed Can Drive Industry Revitalization Through Blockchain

This article is reprinted from: Workers’ Daily

In recent years, rice seed production in Laifeng County, Hubei Province, has undergone a major transformation—from traditional agriculture relying on weather to modern seed industry. With continuous support from the Department of Seed Industry Management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, this “seed” has not only taken root but also grown into a “money tree” that drives the county’s economy and helps farmers increase their income.

Behind the numbers are tangible lives: the seed industry has increased the average income of 4,068 farming households in the county by over 20,000 yuan, lifting more than 1,000 households out of poverty. Industrial revitalization here is not just a slogan but a visible change in the fields.

The county’s seed production area expanded from over 9,000 mu in 2016 to 23,500 mu in 2025, with annual seed output value rising from 24 million yuan to 73.9 million yuan. More importantly, seed quality has met standards for many years, with a 100% pass rate in sampling inspections over the past three years. Over 99% of the annual seed production is exported to Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, and other regions, with the market becoming increasingly stable.

Improved infrastructure has made farm work easier and increased income. Since 2016, the county has invested over 90 million yuan to build 206 kilometers of field roads, establish drying centers, storage centers, and drying yards, with a daily processing capacity of 80,000 kilograms.

While scale is fundamental, sustainable benefits for farmers also depend on good management models and benefit-sharing mechanisms.

“Before, we relied solely on old experience. Now, we follow orders and learn from technology, which makes us feel more secure,” said Luo Youhua at the Fumin Seed Industry Production and Sales Cooperative base, pointing to the technical manual by the field. Since signing orders with companies, the cooperative provides unified parent seed, with experts guiding weekly on planting, pollination, and disease prevention, explaining everything clearly.

Laifeng County adheres to a dual approach: cultivating local enterprises and attracting leading companies. Local firms like Fumin Seed Industry and Anzi Seed Industry have rooted locally and possess breeding, multiplication, and promotion capabilities; meanwhile, top enterprises such as Zhongzhong Group and Hubei Seed Group have been introduced. Through a model of “enterprise + cooperative + base + farmers,” farmers are firmly embedded in the industrial chain.

Policies also give farmers peace of mind: besides regular subsidies, seed production receives an additional 1,000 yuan per mu; since 2022, crop insurance has been purchased continuously for seed growers; the county seed management bureau ensures quality control to guarantee high-quality, high-price seeds. “Since 2022, with insurance, we’re not afraid of hail or floods,” Luo Youhua said. Last year, he planted 20 mu of colored rapeseed, which yields both oilseed and tourism benefits, and combined with rice seed production, earning over 3,000 yuan per mu.

Long-term income growth depends on science and technology, the “golden key.”

“In the past, the village’s seed industry was weak, and I could only do odd jobs outside, earning little all year,” said Weng Chengbing, a poverty alleviation household now mastering scientific seed production techniques. In 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs organized training for local new farmers, and he signed up immediately. “From seed selection and management to disease prevention and drying, every step was taught hands-on.”

Laifeng County has become an important variety testing base in the Wuling Mountain area, testing over a hundred new varieties annually.

Technology promotion relies on people. The county trains over 300 people each year, hosts new variety observation meetings and the “Farmers’ Seed Harvest Festival,” improving farmers’ planting skills. The support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs is comprehensive—connecting orders, tackling diseases, providing free production materials—making the industry more resilient.

Today, Weng Chengbing farms 50 mu of seed fields, selecting excellent varieties like Yixiang You 66, with three consecutive years of over 600 kg per mu. “Life is getting better and better,” he said with a smile. He plans to learn e-commerce next to sell good seeds further afield.

From scattered planting to scaled operation, from traditional farming to integration into the modern industrial chain, Laifeng County has paved a solid path to prosperity with high-quality rice seeds. On this path, policies, technology, markets, and the efforts of millions of farmers are intertwined, jointly composing a harvest chapter of rural revitalization.