Contract farming drives Guanshanhu's chili harvest, rural incomes

Green long chilies harvested from Guanshanhu's planting base. [Photo/Guanshanhu Integrated Media Center]

Guiyang's Guanshanhu district has entered the peak chili harvest season, with contract farming and upgraded agricultural infrastructure helping boost vegetable production and increase farmers' incomes.

The district's standardized vegetable base in Cangpo village, Jinhua town, has planted 120 mu (8 hectares) of chili peppers, with 60 mu each of long green chilies and bullet chilies. Officials are conducting yield assessments and pesticide residue tests to verify production and food safety, laying the groundwork for the distribution of agricultural subsidies.

According to Guizhou Gaoshida Agricultural Technology Co, the long chili variety is expected to yield nearly 2,750 kilograms per mu, while bullet chilies are projected to yield about 1,750 kg per mu. The base's total output value is expected to reach nearly 4 million yuan ($591,891).

The project provides stable employment for more than 35 local residents. Under a contract farming model, all harvested peppers are shipped directly to markets in Chengdu and Mianyang cities, ensuring reliable sales channels and reducing marketing risks.

The harvest follows a broader effort to modernize local vegetable production. In 2026, Guanshanhu upgraded three vegetable bases with 272,000 yuan in provincial and municipal funding to improve irrigation and other supporting infrastructure.

The first batch of high-yield long chilies is now being harvested, while the higher-value bullet chili variety is expected to mature next month. Harvesting will continue through October, after which the base will transition to other vegetable crops, supporting year-round production and stable rural incomes.