Key Facts
- Location
- Jianning county, Sanming city, Fujian province, China
- Author
- Mohammad Saiyedul Islam, PhD, senior lecturer at Sanming University and senior research fellow at Daffodil International University Belt and Road Research Center
- Hybrid rice seed production
- Jianning accounts for more than one-tenth of China's hybrid rice seed-production area and output
- Digital platform
- Liangshengbao covers 161,000 mu (10,733 hectares) and serves more than 24,000 farmers
- Cooperative practice
- Farmers help each other without payment, based on reciprocity
Background
Mohammad Saiyedul Islam, a Bangladeshi academic and senior lecturer at Sanming University in Fujian province, visited Jianning county in Sanming city, where he encountered a rural community whose cooperative farming practices reminded him of his childhood in Bangladesh.
Jianning county is one of China's largest hybrid rice seed-production bases, accounting for more than one-tenth of the country's hybrid rice seed-production area and output. The county has also introduced digital tools into farming, including the Liangshengbao platform, which covers 161,000 mu (10,733 hectares) of hybrid rice seed-production fields and serves more than 24,000 farmers.
Current Situation
During his visit, Islam noticed a farmer working alone in a rice field and asked to join him. As they planted seedlings together, other villagers arrived and joined in without any payment. When asked if he would pay them, the farmer replied, 'No. They come to help. When the work in my field is done, I will go to their fields to help. This is how we do things.'
This system of reciprocity, based on mutual assistance rather than charity, is similar to traditional practices in rural Bangladesh. However, Islam notes that in many places, migration, commercialization, and changing lifestyles have weakened such community ties.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Hybrid rice seed-production area covered by Liangshengbao | 161,000 mu (10,733 hectares) |
| Farmers served by Liangshengbao | More than 24,000 |
Impacts
The cooperative farming model in Jianning reduces labor costs, strengthens relationships, and gives farmers confidence that they will not face difficult times alone. This culture of cooperation exists alongside agricultural modernization, suggesting that digital technology can improve efficiency without displacing traditional values.
For Bangladesh, which has fertile land, hardworking farmers, and a strong agricultural tradition, Jianning offers lessons, although its model cannot simply be copied. Many rural communities in Bangladesh still struggle with poor market access, limited digital services, small and fragmented farms, and few opportunities to add value to their produce.
Future Outlook
Scenario analysis: The possibilities below are not certain predictions.
Cooperative farming models and digital agricultural platforms could give Bangladeshi farmers better access to machinery, information, and markets, while creating new opportunities for younger people to remain involved in agriculture. However, technology alone would not be enough.
If rural revitalization in Bangladesh focuses only on infrastructure, incomes, or technology, it may fail to preserve the relationships that allow communities to work together. If it also strengthens community ties and improves quality of life, it could succeed. The outcome remains uncertain, but Jianning's example suggests that embracing change without losing trust and cooperation is possible.
Source: chinadaily.com.cn
