The trial planting of so-called 'giant rice' in Xinqingyang village – located in Huabu town, Kaihua county, administered by Quzhou city in East China's Zhejiang province – has reportedly been successful this year.

China has successfully cultivated the variety of giant rice elsewhere, which has grown to around 2 meters.

The giant rice species grown in Xinqingyang village is expected to yield at least 800 kilograms per mu on the experimental field that covers about 6,667 square meters.

The sorghum-like rice shoots stand at an average height between 1.8-2 m, with sturdy and tall stalks, long ears and more grain. They are growing at a family farm owned by rice grower  Tong Kaihua.

According to Tong, this type of rice – the Chaofeng 8 variety – is resistant to disease, flooding and salt-alkali soil, while the paddy fields are also perfect for fish farming.

The rice type was introduced from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture at the Chinese Academy of Sciences by Zheng Chuyi, Party secretary of the Huabu town's Golden Party Alliance.

He tested the species Chaofeng 6 in 2020 at the Tong's family farm. But the output was impacted by a flood, only achieving a yield of 450 kilograms per mu, while all the loach raised in the rice fields were washed away.

"After three to five years of experimentation and practice, we now can go ahead with the cultivation of giant rice, hoping it can become a common prosperity model for farmers in the mountainous areas," Zheng said.