Crop fields in rural areas of Jiaxing, Zhejiang. [Photo/Tide News]

With its rural per capita disposable income standing at 49,643 yuan ($6,938) in 2023, Jiaxing secured its top spot in Zhejiang province for the 20th consecutive year, according to statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Jan 23.

The achievement is attributed to Jiaxing's continuous efforts to narrow the urban-rural income divide and strengthen village-level collective economies.

Deng Jianhua, deputy director of the Jiaxing bureau of agriculture and rural affairs, said over the past two decades, Jiaxing has focused on developing cash crops such as vegetables and flowers beyond staple grains. Locally produced products like mushrooms, fresh-cut flowers, and chrysanthemums have gained recognition nationwide and proved lucrative for local farmers.

Wage-based earnings account for nearly 65 percent of disposable incomes for rural residents in Jiaxing, which indicates that employment serves as a main contributor to income growth. To boost employment, Jiaxing has been encouraging establishment of agricultural economic development zones.

For example, Zhejiang's first agricultural economic development zone, located in Guangchen town, Pinghu, Jiaxing, has seen many companies start their businesses since its inception in 2017, contributing over 50 million yuan to local farmers' income. The annual growth rate of farmers' income in the town has maintained over 9.5 percent.

Tourists take pictures at a sea of flowers in a village in Jiaxing. [Photo/Tide News]

Jiaxing is aiming to reach a rural per capita disposable income of 60,000 yuan by 2025.