A rice-themed festival was held in Sihong county of Suqian city in east China's Jiangsu Province on Nov. 3. It aims to build an exchange platform by gathering experts, exhibitors and buyers across the country. 

Sihong is a famous rice town known for its special Sihong rice that has a nice aroma. Rice art and cultural festivals held in successive years have effectively promoted and revitalized the agricultural industry of the area. 

The history of rice farming in Sihong county possibly dates back more than 8,000 years ago, which means that Sihong is the earliest wet rice farming site in the world, according to an archaeological discovery found in 2016. 

Local authorities have taken a series of measures to encourage farmers to plant high-quality rice and pass on its unique rice culture. Their rice-crab production system, where crabs are raised in a rice paddy at a farm, is one of the unique methods that local farmers use to increase the quality of their rice. 

For years, rice farms in Sihong have stuck to this mixed farming mode which involves raising crabs together with organic rice. This has effectively boosted their economic yields and it is estimated that with this method, a farmer's income can increase by 8,000 yuan per mu (about 0.07 hectares), said Chen Xuefeng, a local farmer in Sihong county. 

In the future, as one of the main rice producers in China, Sihong plans to promote the local agricultural industry through innovation and e-commerce, for example, working with the online retailer JD.com to conduct online marketing.

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