Qingdao makes significant strides in rural development
China DailyThe eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province has been promoting the development of agriculture and rural areas, and advancing rural vitalization in recent years. Official statistics show that in 2019, the added value of the city's agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery industries reached 43.62 billion yuan, an increase of 5.71 billion yuan, 15 percent higher than in 2015. Last year, the per capita disposable income of the city's rural residents reached 22,573 yuan, an increase of 34.9 percent compared to 2015, thus achieving the goal of "doubling" the 2010 figure ahead of schedule. "With the support of local government, I have set up an agricultural mechanical cooperative, which upgrades facilities every year to boost farming efficiency," said Hou, adding that advanced machinery and large-scale farming have greatly increased local farmers' incomes. In 2019, the city's comprehensive agricultural mechanization level reached 88.5 percent, 5.4 percentage points higher than five years ago and 18.5 percentage points higher than the national average.