A goose walks around Laoxu Pear Orchard in Changgang village in Rugao, Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

Distinctive agricultural brands involving pears, flowers, and seedlings in Changgang village in Rugao, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province have injected fresh vitality into local economic development, increasing farmers' incomes, local media outlets reported.

"My orchard has been growing eight varieties of pears, with an annual output of more than 40,000 kilograms, generating about 400,000 yuan ($61,560) in sales," said Xu Bohong, owner of the local Laoxu Pear Orchard.

Xu's parents started planting pears in 1998. Under the guidance of local agricultural experts, the family orchard also raises poultry to realize an ecological circular model, which has helped improve the fruit quality year-by-year.

"The village set up a sales platform named Ruguo (meaning fruits in Rugao) soon after our pear harvest, which brought many fixed customers," said Xu.

As Xu's pears gained increasing reputation, an additional eight local households joined to expand the plantation and Changgang Laoxu Pear became a signature fruit brand of the village.

Villagers pick flowers in a greenhouse in Changgang village in Rugao, Nantong. [Photo/ntjoy.com]

In addition, the village has also eyed the horticulture market. The village committee invited industrial experts to help build a seedling base measuring about 3 hectares.

According to the base's operator Chen Mingxuan, the seedlings can bring in more than 1 million yuan in sales.

The base has also created part-time jobs and opportunities to learn planting skills for local residents.

"I can earn 50 to 100 yuan per day, and an extra income of more than 1,000 yuan per month," said villager Zhang Yuanying.