“Rice up the Mountains” Is a Scam or a Joke? | Food Crisis in China
“Rice up the Mountains” Is a Scam or a Joke? | Food Crisis in China
Udumbara
“Rice up the Mountains” Is a Scam or a Joke? | Food Crisis in China
The "Rice Up the Mountains" proposal was suggested by Zhu Youyong, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who in October last year at the 20th CPC National Congress, promoted his pilot cultivation method in Haozhiba Village of Lancang County in Yunnan Province. The so-called method entails clearing all vegetation from steep slopes, turning the mountainside into bare yellow terraces for rice cultivation. Zhu Youyong claimed that "Rice Up the Mountains" is well-received by farmers. He has promoted this cultivation model in the mountainous areas of Yunnan, reaching 82,350 acres, with a maximum yield of 788 kg of rice per 0.16 acre per year, even in drought conditions. However, this unconventional cultivation method was mocked and criticized by those with farming experience, fearing it would damage the ecological environment. They questioned the use of mechanically created terraces, suggesting they are not conducive to soil and water conservation and could be washed away in heavy rain.
