Doumen park emerges as 'agricultural powerhouse'

The enormous Guangdong Zhuhai National Agricultural Science & Technology Park came closer toward becoming a domestic first-class and globally influential agri sci-tech project with "industry + town" integration on Jan 29.

On that date, nine institutes agreed to develop an industry-university-research cooperation system in Doumen District.

Sun Yat-Sen University and the Ocean University of China are among the well-known institutions of higher learning to sign on as strategic partners.

They agreed on ways to effect a sci-tech service for fisheries in support of a rising Pearl River Delta ecological fishery industry cluster. The park will also become a national distribution center of characteristic agricultural products and leisure-and-health industry base.

A plaque unveiled at the meeting was for the park's recognition in 2016 as a national-level Star Creation World (Xingchuang Tiandi) -- an honor generally awarded to innovative agriculture-dedicated sites.

Inauguration ceremony [Photo by Zeng Yao/Zhuhai Daily]

An academician workstation for estuarine fisheries was also unveiled. Nineteen agricultural industry leaders were recruited to establish a commission to provide expertise for it. Among its members are Lin Haoran and Luo Xiwen, both academicians at the Chinese Academy of Engineering. During the opening ceremony they discussed development strategies at a seminar in the Conference Center of the Shili Lianjiang Agriculture Sightseeing & Experience Garden.

Park managers have pledged full utilization of technological innovations and confidence that the operation will improve agricultural and fishery competitiveness along with comprehensive benefits. Growth will also promote rural vitalization, which will reform the supply-side of the agricultural industry, an insider commented.

Guangdong Zhuhai National Agricultural Science & Technology Park has a planning area of 321 sq km (124 sq miles), taking up nearly 1/6th of the city's total area. It will be the largest of its kind in the Pearl River Delta. Planned are one reclamation area, two farms, and agricultural sections of some 57 villages.

The park faces Zhongshan City on the east and borders Jiangmen City to the west and north. It has the geographical advantage of being adjacent to the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

This project is among the fifth-batch of State-level parks approved by the Ministry of Science & Technology in September 2013. Construction was examined and accepted last November.

Since its establishment, the park has received investment of more than 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) and yielded output value of 10.8 billion yuan ($1.7 billion) in just the last year alone. Six companies there have been authenticated as High & New-Technology Enterprises.

Furthermore, municipal-level-and-above enterprises have been given extra developmental support. Eight have been upgraded to provincial level and three to State level. An array of market-focused non-polluting farm produce was cultivated during the process, some of which have been named provincial-level famous brands. 

By relying on the solid developmental foundation provided by Doumen District, the prosperous park is an emerging agricultural powerhouse, according to a government official.

For example, world-popular Baijiao Sea Bass, a National Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product, was listed as a Top 100 Regional Agricultural Product Public Brand in China last September. Meanwhile, Doumen itself was recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture as an Advantageous Area for Chinese Characteristic Agricultural Products late last year.

Statistics show that GDP of Doumen District in 2017 amounted to 34.2 billion yuan ($5.4 billion), year-on-year growth of 10.3 percent.