Regrowth rice offers "one crop, two harvests": the first crop yields stable and high yields, while the regrowth crop has a short growth period, superior grain quality, and requires less seed and water, resulting in labor savings and increased efficiency.Developing regrowth rice effectively utilizes thermal and light resources, increases the cropping index in regions where “one crop is sufficient but two are insufficient,” and boosts yield and income per unit area. It is an effective means of implementing the strategy of “storing grain in the land and in technology,” further enhancing grain production capacity, and ensuring national food security. It serves as a key driver for improving agricultural quality and efficiency, as well as an effective focal point for promoting increased grain production and income among farmers. This plan is formulated to promote the healthy and rapid development of the city’s regrowth rice industry.
I. Development Goals
By 2023, the city’s regenerative rice cultivation area will reach 720,000 mu, with an average yield of 220 kilograms per mu during the regenerative season; by 2024, the cultivation area will reach 850,000 mu, with an average yield of 240 kilograms per mu; and by 2025, the cultivation area will reach 1,000,000 mu, with an average yield of 250 kilograms per mu.
II. Key Tasks
(1) Optimize Regional Layout. Relevant counties and districts shall prioritize the development of areas within their jurisdictions that have secure water sources and are suitable for regrowth rice cultivation, such as those along irrigation channels or with independent water sources; for areas with solid foundations and significant development potential, priority shall be given to projects such as high-standard farmland renovation and seedling nursery construction.
(2) Strengthen the Selection and Promotion of High-Quality Varieties.Strengthen the breeding, introduction, testing, and demonstration of new rice varieties. Select 3–5 regenerative rice varieties—characterized by stable and high yields in the first season, superior grain quality, moderate growth periods, and strong regenerative capacity—as the primary recommended varieties. Intensify promotion efforts through a model of “government guidance, demonstration-driven development, scientific and technological support, active participation by producers, and contract-based development.” County and district governments should allocate funds annually to provide farmers with subsidies based on planting outcomes, thereby guiding the large-scale cultivation and standardized production of these primary recommended varieties.
(3) Strengthen the integration of high-quality seeds and cultivation methods. Develop the “Xinyang City Technical Regulations for Regenerative Rice Production and Processing” to enhance the application of specialized regenerative rice varieties, the coordination of cultivation measures, and the integration and promotion of green, high-yield technologies across all production stages.Vigorously implement factory-based and base-based seedling cultivation, optimize early spring low-temperature safe seedling cultivation techniques, and improve seedling quality; manage water scientifically and irrigate to maintain soil moisture to enhance plant population quality; promptly irrigate after the first rice crop harvest to nourish buds, thereby improving resistance to mechanical trampling and the germination capacity of regrowth buds;Apply fertilizers rationally, determining appropriate ratios and quantities for basal fertilizer, tillering fertilizer, panicle-forming fertilizer, bud-promoting fertilizer, and seedling-promoting fertilizer to ensure fertilizer supply for both seasons; strengthen integrated prevention and control of diseases (such as sheath blight), pests, and weeds to improve the quality of regrowth buds; scientifically determine stubble height to increase the success rate of stubble retention and boost yield in the regrowth season.
(4) Improve mechanization levels. Vigorously implement the integration of agricultural machinery and agronomic practices in regenerative rice production, and promote full mechanization covering planting, cultivation, and harvesting. Promote the application of machine transplanting, shallow planting, and uniform planting to improve the quality of seedling cultivation and transplanting.Practice appropriate high-density planting to regulate plant population and increase the number of effective panicles in the regrowth season. Accelerate the research, development, introduction, and promotion of machinery suitable for harvesting the first crop of regrowth rice. Effectively reduce instances where regrowth shoots fail to emerge due to compaction of rice stubble by increasing cutting width, reducing the ground contact area of tracks (or tires), and lightening the machine’s weight.Strengthen the integration of agricultural machinery and farming techniques, enhance technical training for machine operators, and reduce repeated or excessive compaction. Reserve harvester aisles based on local conditions to improve the success rate of stubble retention for the regrowth season. Adopt drone-based fertilization and pesticide application technologies to reduce labor input and enhance the levels of simplification, automation, and intelligence.
(5) Cultivate New Types of Agricultural Operators. In suitable regions, select a group of new agricultural operators—such as family farms, farmer cooperatives, agricultural enterprises, and state-owned farms—to support and sustain the development of regenerative rice. Support socialized service organizations in providing full- or semi-managed specialized services for key stages—including factory-based seedling cultivation, land preparation, seedling rearing and transplanting, fertilization and pesticide application, and harvesting and drying—to drive the development of regenerative rice production among surrounding farmers.
(6) Establish Green and High-Yield Demonstration Models. Based on the distribution of regional agricultural technology extension stations, establish demonstration sites and model fields to showcase and promote green and efficient regrowth rice technologies. Relying on new types of agricultural business entities—such as large-scale grain farmers, cooperatives, and family farms—that possess good farmland conditions, advanced technological production capabilities, and strong capacity to drive local development, establish standardized, high-quality demonstration bases to create replicable and scalable models.
(7) Promote the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. Focusing on the development of the entire regenerative rice industry chain, we will strengthen the principle of “higher quality, higher price,” encouraging leading grain processing enterprises to implement contract farming and premium-price procurement with new agricultural operators, and promote large-scale, standardized, single-variety cultivation in contiguous areas.Focus on weak links such as on-site processing, drying and storage, and brand building for agricultural products. Make concerted efforts to improve the quality and consistency of regenerative rice, create a national geographical indication and regional public brand for Xinyang’s distinctive regenerative rice, cultivate high-quality local regenerative rice brands, enhance market recognition and reputation, and promote comprehensive quality upgrades across the production, processing, distribution, and marketing value chain.
III. Incentive and Subsidy Measures
(1) Source of Incentive Funds: Fiscal funds allocated by the municipal government to counties and districts for the promotion of rural revitalization (hereinafter referred to as “coordination funds”) or other fiscal funds related to agriculture included in the scope of integrated allocation.
(2) Principles of Incentives and Subsidies: Incentives and subsidies will be provided to counties and districts that meet the planting area targets and achieve the target yield during the regrowth season.
(3) Award Amount: 20 yuan per mu based on the annual planting target.
(4) Incentive Period: 2023–2025.
Each county and district shall formulate specific incentive policies for regenerative rice development, focusing on key production stages such as seedling cultivation, mechanical transplanting, mechanical harvesting, and the application of bud-promoting fertilizers.
IV. Support Measures
(1) Give High Priority. All counties and districts must fully recognize the important role of developing regrowth rice in ensuring national food security, promoting agricultural efficiency, and increasing farmers’ income, and must earnestly treat the development of regrowth rice as a key task in agricultural and rural work. Top leaders must personally oversee and arrange the work, while leaders in charge must take concrete action to coordinate and resolve issues arising during development, ensuring that all tasks are effectively implemented.
(2) Strengthen Policy Support. All counties and districts must earnestly implement a series of policies to strengthen and benefit agriculture, including funds for modern agricultural development, rewards for major grain-producing counties, national rice subsidies, agricultural machinery purchase subsidies, and agricultural insurance, to fully stimulate farmers’ enthusiasm for grain production. The exemplary and leading role of fiscal funds must be leveraged; relevant national and provincial agricultural subsidies and project funds should be appropriately prioritized for regrowth rice planting entities (cooperatives, family farms, and large-scale farmers) within the scope permitted by policy.
(3) Strengthen Guidance and Services. Conduct multi-level, comprehensive training on regenerative rice production techniques and establish a system where agricultural technicians provide designated, on-site services to ensure that every new agricultural business entity has a dedicated technical advisor. During critical agricultural seasons, organize agricultural technicians to go deep into the fields to provide technical guidance and services at key stages, including variety selection, seedling cultivation and transplanting, fertilizer and water management, pest and disease control, and mechanical harvesting with stubble retention.
(4) Strengthen the Implementation of Responsibilities. All counties and districts must further refine tasks and clarify responsibilities based on the annual targets set in this plan. Make full use of media such as television, newspapers, and the internet to widely publicize the importance of developing regrowth rice and showcase exemplary cases, actively fostering a strong atmosphere for its development.Agricultural and rural affairs departments must earnestly fulfill their leading responsibilities, refine measures, and ensure meticulous and effective implementation; agricultural research departments should accelerate research on regrowth rice production technologies and provide technical training; water conservancy departments must reasonably adjust reservoir water release schedules to ensure irrigation needs during critical periods of regrowth rice production; and grain departments should open granaries to receive grain in a timely manner based on the harvest schedule for regrowth rice.
