Sugar sorghum in Haimen district, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, is sold across the country through a livestreaming platform. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Sugar sorghum has become an important driver of common prosperity in Haimen district, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province.

This is largely due to the implementation of a series of measures rolled out by authorities, including the collection of germplasm resources, scientific cultivation and planting, and setting up a livestreaming studio.

Bao Weihong, deputy director of the Haimen institute of agriculture sciences, said that she collected 16 germplasm resources of sugar sorghum in 2015. This germplasm is vital to boosting innovation in the seed industry.

The institute also scientifically cultivated sugar sorghum seedlings last December, which made it possible for the sugar sorghum to hit the market at the beginning of June, a month earlier than the previous year, said Zhu Jianhui, who is in charge of a specialized farmers' cooperative in Haimen.

A livestreaming studio was also established to expand sugar sorghum sales. Zhu Jiaming, a college graduate who was born in the district's Peicai village, said that 300 orders are being booked online every day.

Zhu sold more than 30 local products, including sugar sorghum, corn, and pears in 2022 using her livestreaming studio and helped more than 300 households increase their incomes.

Haimen is currently home to a 4,000-mu (266.67 hectares) sugar sorghum plantation, and the output value per mu of sugar sorghum is 15,000 yuan ($2,092.92). It has a long history of growing sugar sorghum, which is a geographical indication product.