For generations, the farmers of Linxi County’s Xiachang Village faced a common and crippling challenge: land fragmentation. Their fields were scattered, with the largest plot under two acres, making modern agricultural machinery inaccessible and advanced agronomic techniques nearly impossible to implement. As village Party Secretary Zhang Guobin recalled, farming potatoes was a labor-intensive endeavor with limited returns. The transformative shift came with the “One Village, One Field” reform. By consolidating the village’s scattered plots into a single, contiguous tract of high-standard farmland, the community achieved 100% mechanization for both planting and harvesting. This foundational change turned inefficiency into a powerhouse of productivity.
The results have been staggering. The village collective, acting on behalf of the farmers, publicly auctioned the operational rights to the consolidated land. The Baiji Cooperative won the bid for 8,200 acres (approximately 5,467 hectares) for the 2025 season, paying land rental fees ranging from 1,070 to 1,430 USD per hectare (750 to 1,000 RMB per Chinese mu) back to the villagers. On this consolidated land, the cooperative reported a potato yield of 4 tons per mu (approximately 60 tonnes per hectare). This represents a nearly 30% increase compared to yields under fragmented, smallholder management and far exceeds the global average potato yield, which the FAO estimates at around 21 tonnes per hectare.
A Tripartite Victory: Scale, Science, and Stable Income
The success of the Linxi model rests on a three-pillar approach: scale, science, and shared prosperity.
- Scale Enables Technology: The large, consolidated field allowed for the immediate deployment of large-scale harvesters and planters. This not only slashed labor costs but also enabled precision planting, creating the ideal conditions for the record-breaking yield.
- Science Drives Yield: The winning cooperative brought scientific rigor to the operation. They introduced high-quality potato varieties and partnered with agricultural research institutes to implement site-specific nutrient management, often called “formula fertilization,” which tailors fertilizer application to soil test results. This data-driven approach maximizes nutrient use efficiency and minimizes environmental impact.
- Shared Prosperity Secures the Future: The model creates a win-win scenario. Farmers receive stable land rental income—totaling over $1 million USD (7 million RMB) for the village in 2025—freeing them to pursue other employment. Simultaneously, the cooperative’s operations generate abundant local employment; during the harvest, it employs around 100 workers daily, paying wages of $25-$30 USD (180-220 RMB) per day. This provides a significant secondary income stream for villagers, who can now earn a stable wage without leaving their community.
The “One Village, One Field” initiative in Linxi County is a powerful case study in modernizing smallholder agriculture. It demonstrates that the path to higher yields and greater profitability is not solely through genetic breakthroughs or new chemicals, but through fundamental structural reform. By consolidating land, villages can unlock the full potential of mechanization and scientific farming, creating a scalable, profitable, and socially beneficial agricultural system. For farmers, agronomists, and policymakers worldwide grappling with low productivity and land fragmentation, the Linxi model offers a compelling blueprint for rural revitalization, proving that when land is allowed to “breathe” as a single unit, the entire community reaps the harvest.
