Shuangqiao Eco-Softshell Turtles

Shuangqiao Eco-Softshell Turtles

　　Shuangqiao Village is located in the northwest of Yunhe Town, adjacent to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, at the heart of the Hangjiahu Plain, and is known as a “land of fish and rice.” It currently has an agricultural population of 3,025, 765 farming households, and a land area of 2,027 mu, including 1,860 mu of ponds. In recent years, the turtle farming industry in Shuangqiao Village has seen rapid development and improvement both in scale and in production efficiency. To date, the village has 1,418 mu of eco-softshell turtle farming area, generating an output value of 32 million yuan. Shuangqiao Village has become a national-level eco-softshell turtle production base (village) and a pollution-free aquaculture base in Hangzhou.

　　　　The main industry of Shuangqiao Village is eco-softshell turtle farming. The village has 1,418 mu dedicated to eco-turtle farming, accounting for over 70% of the total village area, with a total farming stock of 1.8 million turtles. The annual production of market-ready softshell turtles reaches 709 tons, generating an output value of 32 million yuan, which makes up over 90% of the village’s total agricultural output value. A large number of villagers are engaged in eco-softshell turtle farming, with the per capita net income reaching 16,800 yuan in 2010. The village has established the Hangzhou Yuhang Fengsheng Turtle Professional Cooperative, which currently has 58 member households. The cooperative members enjoy a per capita net income of over 15,000 yuan annually, about 10% higher than the village average. All eco-softshell turtle farmers in the village are members of the “Ben” Brand Chinese Softshell Turtle Management Association. They regularly attend turtle farming technology training sessions organized by the association and participate in more than two remote technical training sessions per month via an educational platform, continuously improving their farming techniques.

　　　　Shuangqiao Village undertook and successfully completed the National Eco-Turtle Farming Park Project in 2003 and the Provincial High-Standard Eco-Fishpond Renovation Project in 2008. The village’s agricultural economy is dominated by the eco-softshell turtle industry, which accounts for over 90% of its total agricultural output, making it truly a village of eco-softshell turtles.