The water chestnut fields in Wuzhuang village, Yuxi town, Jiangyan district, have recently been bustling with activity in the early hours of each morning. Villagers are seizing the harvest season to collect the plant, ensuring that over 5000 kilograms of fresh produce are shipped daily to markets in Suzhou, Wuxi, and Shanghai.
Residents of Jiangyan's Wuzhuang village collect water chestnuts. [Photo/WeChat account: jyrmzf]
With the high-quality water resources of the Lixia River region, Wuzhuang village has managed to cultivate the premium Shuangjiao green water chestnut. The young chestnuts are crisp and sweet, while the mature ones are soft and fragrant, making them highly popular on the market. The harvest season extends from late June to early October, providing villagers with several months of productive work.
This year, through scientific cultivation methods, the village expects a yield of 1,500 kg per mu (0.07 hectares), with an average income of about 5,000 yuan ($696.1) per mu. The water chestnut industry has created jobs for over 50 residents, contributing more than 40,000 yuan annually to the village's collective income.