Zhu Xia, also known as Xiameizi (younger sister Xia), is a household name in her hometown, Hengyang, a county in Central China's Hunan Province. Why? She has achieved success in grain production, and she has helped her fellow villagers increase their incomes. 

Zhu is general manager of Hunan Jiasui Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., and she is director of the villagers' committee of Taijiu, in Hengyang. She was a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in 2022.

Skilled Farmer

After Zhu graduated from Hunan Agricultural University, in 2010, she worked as an accountant and a teacher. Her father, Zhu Dongyang, was one of the county's major grain producers. In 2017, he fell ill, due in part to the heavy farm work, so Zhu Xia returned home to help him. 

She quickly realized the villagers were inefficient in their grain production, and she set her mind to find a solution. She believed modernization and mechanization were the keys to high-quality grain production. Zhu Dongyang agreed, and he purchased several agricultural machines. 

Initially, Zhu Xia had no idea how to use the machines. While using a harvester incorrectly, she gathered grain, grass and mud. Once, she caused a drone to splash into a pool. She was undaunted, though; she studied materials on how to use the machines, and she practiced hard. Eventually, she became competent at operating the machines. 

To become a skilled farmer, Zhu Xia has constantly studied the techniques used by her father and the other villagers. She has also asked experts, from agricultural research institutes in Hunan, to teach her about growing seedlings, fertilization, and pest management. 

During seedling-growing season, Zhu Xia helps (for free) other farmers grow high-quality seedlings. During planting season, she plants 2 hectares of rice per day, by driving a transplanting machine. By hand, a farmer can plant 0.04 hectare, at most, per day. Zhu Xia has led the other villagers in using machines to perform their farm work. Gradually, the power of technology has taken root in their hearts. 

Possibilities 

Zhu Xia is now leader of a 70-member team of professional farmers, and half of those members are younger than 35. She has led the team annually in producing rice, and in developing other "green" agricultural products. 

To identify other ways of increasing villagers' incomes, Zhu Xia has explored the "rice-plus" agriculture-development mode, which involves development of agriculture-related tourism and the production of various crops. 

In 2020, she established a research and development base, covering five villages in Hengyang, on which to plant 550 mu (36 hectares) of corn, sorghum and soybeans. Planting those crops helped improve soil quality in the region, and enabled villagers to find employment near their homes. 

Zhu Xia has also thought of ways to integrate agriculture, tourism and the cultural industry. She and village officials are developing a plan to build a park, a grain-themed museum and other cultural facilities. To promote "local specialties" from Hengyang, Zhu Xia in 2023 organized college students to sell items, including high-quality grain and lotus seeds, through a livestreaming event. 

Dedicated to Rural Development 

At the end of 2020, Zhu Xia was elected director of the villagers' committee of Taijiu. She has since led her colleagues in various projects, including renovation of toilets, sewage disposal, and building a square for cultural and sports activities. 

In 2021, she organized a free activity intended to enrich the lives of 50-plus local children during their summer vacation. She asked her friends to teach the children about health, and the law. Also that year, she and her colleagues began publishing the first village-level magazine in Hunan. The magazine promotes local traditional culture, and it showcases the village's development. 

Given her outstanding contributions to her hometown, Zhu Xia has won several awards and titles, including National Agricultural and Rural Labor Model, National Top 10 Outstanding Farmers, and May Fourth Medal (the top honor for young Chinese).

Photos from Liu Xinrong and Hengyang (City) Women's Federation 

(Women of China English Monthly July 2024)

Editor: Wang Shasha