Red Sorghum Transplantation in Full Swing as Duyun Scales Up Organic Cultivation

Farmers transplant sorghum seedlings in May in Mawei Village, Xiaoweigai Subdistrict, Duyun City, Guizhou Province, marking the start of this year’s red sorghum growing season. With the arrival of early summer, the village enters its optimal transplanting window, with local farmers ploughing fields, raising ridges, laying plastic mulch and planting seedlings in unison to seize the agricultural timetable.

Duyun has in recent years expanded organic red sorghum production as a key agricultural pillar. The city adopts a company + cooperative + farmer model, developing contract farming for brewing-grade sorghum to stabilise yields, raise rural incomes and advance rural revitalisation. The model links smallholder farmers directly to downstream buyers, ensuring guaranteed offtake and stable pricing through minimum price plus market fluctuation mechanisms.

Mawei Village stands as a model for this approach. Following the relocation and capacity expansion of a local liquor producer, the village adjusted its industrial layout and built a 700‑mu demonstration base. The scheme generated approximately 1.36 million yuan in collective income in 2024, created around 4,000 local jobs and lifted per capita income by nearly 10,000 yuan. The model has been replicated across neighbouring villages, forming a village–cooperative integration framework that supports sustained income growth.

The municipal agricultural authorities support the expansion with comprehensive technical services. Guidance teams provide whole‑cycle assistance across seedling cultivation, field management and harvest. The city promotes unified seed supply, decentralised nursery, contract planting, contracted purchasing, centralised storage and unified sales, strengthening quality control and traceability. Varieties such as Hongyingzi, favoured for liquor production, dominate the planting area.

Mechanisation is increasing across the value chain, with ploughing, planting, spraying and harvesting largely mechanised to lower costs and reduce waste. Trials of new varieties continue, with experimental plots evaluating adaptability to local climate and soil.

Duyun is scaling up organic sorghum cultivation, with plans to expand to 20,000 mu. The development aligns with the city’s strategy of secondary industry driving primary industry, integrating raw material supply with local liquor production. The sector will continue to combine modern farming techniques with sustainable organic practices, reinforcing its role in increasing agricultural productivity and supporting rural revitalisation across southern China.