For many decades, Zhang Zhigang labored on 0.2 hectares of land, growing wheat and corn to feed his family of four.

However, five years ago, he stopped working on the farm, when, along with many of his neighbors, he leased his plot to a horticultural company.

The company pays Zhang 3,000 yuan ($437) a year for the use of his land, which is much more than he made by farming, and he earns an extra 40 yuan a day doing odd jobs for the company, such as spraying pesticide.

"Life is definitely better now I lease out my land, because I get a fixed income without the risk of droughts or floods," the 70-year-old said.

A growing number of farmers across China have abandoned agriculture and leased their land to commercial enterprises, which has freed them to do other work and raised their living standards.

By the end of September, 29,000 hectares of farmland in Jieshou was available for contracted use by individuals or businesses. The figure accounts for more than 75 percent of the city's farmland - higher than any other city in Anhui - according to the local agricultural commission.

The circulation of farmland, which resulted in small plots of land scattered among individual households being brought together under unified ownership, has greatly boosted economies of scale in agricultural production. In turn, that has generated more profits for the rural economy and contributed to the development of modern agriculture in the city, the commission said.

In early December, Zhang Hongyu, an official for the rural economy at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said 37 percent of all farmland in China is now in circulation and is available for leasing.