Hainan is eyeing the development of a national seed breeding base with top standards, with the construction of the Nanfan Scientific and Research Breeding Base as the core, coupled with a science and technology town, as well as a transfer base for the introduction of global animals and plant germplasm.
"Nanfan boasts rich resources not only in seeds breeding but also in agricultural technology," said Ke Yongchun, head of the Nanfan Research Institute of Science and Technology in Sanya. "Hainan has been exploring approaches for the transformation of the resources into productivity in order to boost Hainan agriculture and help increase income for its people."
In the past decade, Hainan has grown 200,000 mu (13,300 hectares) of watermelon, whose output value reach over 5 billion yuan ($727 million), a successful case of turning research results into productivity.
A rice field in Nanfan Scientific Research Breeding Base in Hainan. [Photo/Xinhua]
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, more than 70 percent of the nation's 7,000 new crop varieties have been bred at the base, located on the tropical island of Hainan.
The coverage of rice varieties bred by the Nanfan base has reached over 95 percent of Hainan province. Most of the varieties of winter fruits and vegetables come from Nanfan, giving rise to a group of villages focused on cultivating honeydew melons, cowpeas, and cucumbers.
Over the past three years, 330 million yuan has been invested by Hainan in Nanfan projects.
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