STORY: Sci-tech stations in China channel college talents to countryside
DATELINE: Sept. 24, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:01
LOCATION: WUHAN, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of paddy fields
2. various of Du Chanchan working
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WANG WEIBIN, Director of Hubei Xiantao Ratoon Rice Sci-tech Station
4. various of the Sci-tech station
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): HUANG JIANLIANG, Professor at Huazhong Agricultural University

STORYLINE:

Du Chanchan, who had never seen paddy fields or live ducks before she came to pursue her postgraduate study at Huazhong Agricultural University in central China's Hubei Province, is now an expert of rice.

In the past five years, the 28-year-old spent over 300 days a year at Hubei Xiantao Ratoon Rice Sci-tech Station, exploring the co-culture system of ratoon rice and ducks, an agricultural technique that can boost crop yield with minimal environmental impact.

Her research has been promoted to many places in Xiantao City, helping farmers increase more than 45,000 yuan (6,180 USD) per hectare a year, while reducing the use of pesticide and fertilizer.

Founded 10 years ago, the sci-tech station where Du works has evolved into a bridge connecting agronomy students needing field research and farmers lacking access to advanced technologies.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WANG WEIBIN, Director of Hubei Xiantao Ratoon Rice Sci-tech Station
"The foundation of the sci-tech station narrows the distance between farmers and college teachers and students. Farmers used to think that professors were far away from their lives, but now they can meet postgraduate students every day. Farmers are more eager for knowledge, feeling that knowledge has brought them productivity."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): HUANG JIANLIANG, Professor at Huazhong Agricultural University
"We hope to really make our research papers down to the earth. Only on the farmland can we identify urgent problems facing agriculture and find our solutions to agricultural production. Meanwhile, more agricultural technologies can be translated into productive outcomes."

Figures show that the number of rural stations of science and technology has exceeded 1,000 across China, providing a new model for scientific research, social services, personnel training and agricultural development.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Wuhan, China.
(XHTV)