The ducks are responsible for the fertilization, pest control and weeding of the lotus pond in the innovative lotus and duck co-cultivation system. [Photo/lsnews.com.cn]

The Liandu district of Lishui city – in East China's Zhejiang province – is vigorously promoting  development that integrates tourism with agriculture and one of the most innovative and striking of these endeavors is a co-cultivation system involving aquatic lotus plants and ducks.

The zany setup is a sustainable cultivation system that organically combines lotus planting and the lucrative commercial endeavor of raising ducks. It uses ducks instead of humans to do the fertilization, pest control and weeding of the lotus ponds.

The system is said to produce pollution-free lotus seeds, as well as high-quality duck meat and eggs.

The lotus and duck co-cultivation venture in the Liandu district covers about 26.67 hectares. It now has some 5,000 ducks that produce about 150 kilograms of eggs per day.

During the lotus flower blooming season, which took place between June to August last year, the venture received nearly 6,500 visits. As a result, the total tourism revenue – generated by agricultural and sideline products, surrounding homestay facilities and the nearby national 4A-level Dongxi Rock scenic area – hit 2 million yuan ($299,088) during the period, up 20 percent year-on-year.

Driven by the lotus and duck co-cultivation system, the value-added benefits of the local primary, secondary and tertiary industries hit a new high, while the integrated development of agriculture, industry, commerce and tourism was boosted.