China-US friendship helps build demonstration farm

US Ambassador Terry Branstad, center, Hebei Party chief Zhao Kezhi, second from right, and Qu Dongyu, third from left, vice-minister of agriculture, are among officials launch the China-US Friendship Demonstration Farm in Luanping county, North China's Hebei province on Sept 23, 2017. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY

In Luanping, farms are operated on smaller scales by each household, usually 0.09 hectare per person.

Chen Shuping, a local farmer in her 50s, works on 0.35 hectare of corn farms with her husband, like many local couples do. From planting to harvest, they use their hands and sometimes machines, such as sprayers and cultivators.

Her daughter and son, who are going to school and working in the city nearby, decided not to come home to help take care of the farmland, Chen said.

"If we manage the farmlands together and apply machinery and technology, and more importantly develop the production mode and additional industries, we can improve the efficiency in many aspects," said Zhang Yueyong, president of the agricultural industry of Rise¬Sun, the demonstration farm project's main investor in Hebei.

Zhang said they will explore more possibilities in cooperation with the Kimberley farm and based on the local situation.

"We'll train the farmers to use machines, learn technologies, so they can work and even manage the farm and factories," Zhang said.

Kimberley said he'd love to bring the technology and equipment from his farm to Hebei, help train people and show how to adapt to the changes as farmers, including how to manage the farm, dry and store the grains, and use machinery.

"I am a farmer, and I have great passion for Chinese farmers. I know how hard it is to be a farmer. I want to help the farmers and make a better life for them and make more profits," he said.

The agricultural cooperation between China and the US has made positive progress in recent years, cooperative mechanisms have been improved, agricultural technology exchanges have been strengthened and agricultural trade has been developed rapidly, according to Qu Dongyu, China's vice-minister of agriculture.