Since the start of the "14th Five-Year Plan," Yintai District has leveraged its agricultural resources in the Weibei Dry Plateau, using technological innovation as the driving force and whole-industry-chain development as the key approach. By focusing on specialty industries such as apples, wheat, and livestock, the district has painted a magnificent picture of rural revitalization characterized by thriving industries, ecological livability, and prosperous farmers. Today, Yintai is brimming with technological vitality in its fields and joyful smiles in its farmhouses, achieving simultaneous improvements in both quality and efficiency in its agricultural economy, with transformative changes in production and livelihoods for its residents.
Industrial upgrading serves as the core engine of agricultural development. Centered on the "Four Ones" system—"a good seedling, a good seed, a good cut of meat, and a good egg"—Yintai has positioned apple farming as the "golden key" to rural revitalization, meticulously cultivating this "sweet industry." Apple cultivation has stabilized at 133,000 mu (approximately 8,867 hectares), with an annual output of 155,000 tons, a premium fruit rate exceeding 88%, and a total output value surpassing 868 million yuan. The per capita net income of fruit farmers has reached 14,300 yuan. Through the "3332" model for renovating old orchards, the district has improved over 30,000 mu of soil and promoted over 10,000 mu of premium new varieties such as Ruixue and Qincui. Three provincial-level demonstration orchards and 24 municipal-level demonstration orchards have been established, with "Yintai Apples" successfully included in the National List of Specialty and High-Quality Agricultural Products.
Meanwhile, the entire industrial chains for egg-laying hens and pigs are thriving. The district’s pig farming capacity has reached 200,000 heads, with the total industrial chain output value exceeding 1.5 billion yuan. Leading the industry, Yinglian Group has developed 13-stage high-efficiency antibiotic-free nutritional formulas for pig farming, setting an industry benchmark. Chunlei Eggs has established a fully automated liquid egg production line with an annual processing capacity of 7,000 tons, while the continued development of probiotic-enriched and herbal-fed eggs further extends the industrial chain.
Technological empowerment has given wings to agricultural progress. Relying on the Zhouling National Agricultural Science and Technology Park, Yintai built the city’s first smart agricultural management platform and successfully established Shaanxi’s first Agricultural High-Tech Industry Demonstration Zone, creating an "incubator" for agricultural technology transformation. The locally developed "Tongmai No. 6" wheat set a provincial yield record for dryland wheat in Shaanxi, with over 15 million mu planted nationwide, increasing local farmers’ income by more than 300 yuan per mu. Collaborating with institutions like Northwest A&F University, the district has established expert workstations to promote province-wide key technologies such as dwarf rootstock cultivation without supports. A 760-mu rootstock seedling breeding base has been built, producing over 4 million high-quality seedlings annually, some of which are exported to Central Asia.
Annual technical training sessions exceed 330, benefiting 20,000 farmers each year. The district has cultivated 18 "leading geese" talents, 200 rural innovation and entrepreneurship leaders, and 300 prosperity pioneers, while certifying over 600 "technically skilled, management-capable, and business-savvy" high-quality farmers, injecting talent vitality into industrial development.
Improvements in people’s livelihoods have added warmth to rural revitalization. In the water-scarce Weibei Dry Plateau, Yintai has invested 105 million yuan in 105 safe drinking water projects, achieving 100% tap water coverage and providing clean water to 83,000 rural residents. Its "county-level three-tier direct management" water supply model was selected as a provincial best practice. The "Toilet Revolution" has seen remarkable success, with 23,000 household toilets renovated and a sanitation coverage rate of 92%. One-click repair and waste collection services have made life more convenient for residents.
An integrated online-offline five-tier marketing network has helped "Yintai Apples" gain nationwide popularity, with five direct sales outlets bridging the "last mile" between production and consumption. Today, rural roads are smooth and clean, courtyards are fragrant with fruits, and modern amenities like smart water meters and mobile payment systems have become commonplace, turning the vision of an ecologically livable and harmonious countryside into reality.