At the honey-sweet plum plantation in Longxi village, Kaiyang county, plant protection drones evenly spray insect-resistant pesticides on the plum trees.
Zhou Xingliang, a drone operator in Longxi village, officially started work after completing a week of professional training and earning his certification. "I never imagined that drones would be used to bolster the village's collective economy," Zhou remarked.
In recent years, Longxi village has been working to boost the village's collective economy by improving agricultural machinery socialized services, leading to strong results.
The village adopts an operation model involving Party organization, the cooperative, large-scale farmers, and individual farmers, leading to the establishment of a "1+1" mixed-ownership company. The company involves major agricultural machinery operators, key industry players, Party members, and villagers as shareholders through investments in funds, agricultural machinery, land, and technology.
With over 700,000 yuan ($96,670) in funds, the company purchased plant protection drones, mini tillers, and other equipment, providing comprehensive agricultural machinery services to address labor shortages and a lack of equipment among some farmers.
So far, the village has cultivated eight skilled agricultural machinery operators, ensuring effective mechanized services for managing the village's honey-sweet plums this year. These services have expanded to neighboring villages such as Huashan and Longjiang, helping to drive local agricultural economic development.