On the fertile black soil of Wuchang, Secretary Cai of Wugantian Village has spent half a lifetime pioneering a path of revitalization that increases land productivity and boosts farmers’ income.

Looking out from Secretary Cai’s window, vast rice fields stretch as far as the eye can see. Behind this serene view lies decades of relentless dedication to the land. “As a child, I followed my father to farm, carrying seedlings on my shoulders along narrow ridges over a hundred meters long — the hardships in the mud ran deep in my bones.” Because of this, the first thing he did after becoming village secretary was to raise funds to build roads, allowing cars to reach the fields directly. This replaced farmers’ burdensome shoulder loads with vehicle transport, embodying the spirit of “benefiting those who cultivate the land” through practical action.

After solving transportation difficulties, Secretary Cai turned his attention to a tougher challenge: growing ecological rice without herbicides. Five years ago, he trialed 2 acres of organic rice but was overwhelmed by rampant weeds, making large-scale cultivation a distant dream. Everything changed when he discovered fully biodegradable mulch film technology. This breathable “little quilt” not only preserves warmth to plump the grains but also blocks light to suppress weeds, eliminating the need for herbicides and making large-scale ecological planting possible.

From manual labor to mechanization, from the challenge of selling grain to the aroma of quality rice, Secretary Cai has led his fellow villagers to cultivate “Gan” on the black soil — a gift from the land, a farmer’s dignity, and peace of mind for thousands of households at the dinner table.