As early autumn arrives, a 500-mu water chestnut plantation in Zhangdu Village, within the Zhenglou Canal Industrial Park of Yanghe New District, Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, is entering its harvest season. The contiguous ponds ripple with clear water, their surfaces blanketed by lush green leaves, beneath which plump water chestnuts are hidden. Workers take advantage of the cool morning hours to wade into the ponds and begin harvesting, creating a bustling scene of abundance across the water. This modest water chestnut has now become a "golden bean" that drives income growth for local residents and empowers rural industrial revitalization.
On the morning of September 1st, workers at the Zhangdu Village plantation, dressed in waterproof suits, moved through the ponds, skillfully using bamboo knives to locate and cut the chestnut pods hidden under the leaves. With one hand gently holding the leaf and the other precisely severing the fruit stem, they collect the pods into their bags. The freshly harvested chestnuts have a green shell and firm flesh, emitting a subtle fragrance that perfectly captures the essence of the harvest.
The entire water chestnut harvesting process relies on manual labor, which demands great patience and care from the workers. "Harvesting water chestnuts is all about being meticulous. You have to be extra cautious when walking in the pond and picking the fruits. You must never step on the leaves, because if they are damaged and allow air or water in, the entire leaf will rot, affecting both yield and quality," explained Li Cuirong, a worker in the pond, as she skillfully picked the chestnuts.
"This year's climate has been particularly suitable for water chestnut growth. We estimate that the yield per mu will increase by about 20% compared to previous years, with an output value of up to 4,000 yuan per mu. The current wholesale price ranges from 65 to 95 yuan per jin, and sales are very stable," said Zhu Xuehui, a local grower.
The harvest period for water chestnuts is quite long and allows for multiple rounds of picking. This several-month-long harvesting season provides relatively stable employment opportunities for nearby villagers, allowing them to earn income right at their doorstep. Water chestnuts, also known as "chicken head rice," are hailed as the "ginseng of the water." They have both edible and medicinal value, with a glutinous texture, a sweet taste, and rich nutritional content, making them a specialty agricultural product favored by the market. Compared with traditional crops, water chestnuts offer higher economic returns, a more stable market outlook, and require less maintenance, making them an excellent choice for developing specialty agriculture tailored to local conditions.
Over the past two years, Zhangdu Village has actively collaborated with new-generation farmers to scale up water chestnut cultivation, which now covers an area of 500 mu. The village has adopted standardized management and refined harvesting methods, while also establishing a complete industrial chain encompassing planting, management, harvesting, processing, and sales. This has helped upgrade the water chestnut industry. "The water chestnut industry has effectively revitalized idle water resources within the village, increasing the value of each mu of water area by more than 1,000 yuan and providing employment for over 100 villagers," said Chen Lei, Party branch secretary of Zhangdu Village. He noted that the industrial development has not only strengthened the village's collective economy but also solved employment challenges for local residents, achieving a win-win outcome of both collective income growth and individual prosperity.
Now, the vast stretches of water chestnut ponds are verdant, unfolding a picture of bountiful harvest. Moving forward, Zhangdu Village will continue to focus on the water chestnut specialty industry, steadily expanding the planting scale, optimizing cultivation techniques, and extending the industrial chain to inject sustained momentum into rural industrial development.
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