Resource Mobilization

Improving Winter Vegetables in the People's Republic of China

Hainan Province is a major source of winter-vegetables supply to northern China, producing about 4.5 million tonnes annually. Intensive farming has led to excessive use of water, fertilizers and pesticides, and environmental hazards such as soil degradation have jeopardized sustainability of production, making farmers vulnerable to economic loss and distress. The project aimed to support Hainan’s vegetable growers in maintaining sustainability by incorporating advanced green technology from abroad into local production systems, and by building capacity of farmers and other stakeholders in the dissemination of this technology through training workshops and on-site demonstrations.

What did the project do

The project organised international (Italy, Israel) and domestic (Sichuan) field trips for policy-makers and practitioners to study vegetable production using modern techniques and infrastructure. The project set up a demonstration site and modified production technologies for four crops (pepper, cowpea, bitter gourd and watermelon) by incorporating innovative norms and standards. Training curricula, schedules and course books for training of trainers (TOT) and Farmers Field Schools (FFS) were developed and disseminated. Resource materials on good agricultural practices (GAP) were developed in two languages.

Impact

The main impact of the project was that rural livelihoods in Hainan were improved: farmers’ income increased due to higher yield and better quality of off-season vegetables. The environment benefited as a result of rehabilitated soil containing fewer chemicals. Consumers have access to vegetables that do not pose public health hazards. Women account for the majority of those relying on vegetable production for income; one trainee is pepper grower Ms Wu Kunzhi, who increased her pickle production by 3 percent, to 3.108 tonnes, and reduced pesticide residue to pass detection. Ms Wu hopes to form a cooperative with her neighbours and build a brand for their ecologically friendly pickles.

Activities

  • 34 extension technicians trained in TOT and 450 farmers (62 percent were women) trained in FFS in seven locations over six-day periods.
  • Another 10 000 farmers indirectly exposed to innovative technology through visits to a demonstration site.
  • 10 000 copies of booklets on safe vegetable-growing technology produced and distributed (in Mandarin and English). 
Project symbol: TCP/CPR/3503
Project title: Development and extension of safe and high-yielding technologies for winter-season vegetable production in Hainan Province
Contact: FAO Office in the People's Republic of China / Yongfan Piao (Lead Technical Officer)
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
Download PDF: http://www.fao.org/3/BT817/bt817.pdf