Farmers enjoy fruits of their labors in Gansu
Farmers from Gansu have increased their living standards by linking up with a major soft drink company.
Gansu Hezheng Baba Piteguo Group specializes in beverages and is based in Hezheng County in the Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture of Gansu province, which still has pockets of poverty-stricken areas.
A key ingredient for the company’s products is piteguo, a fruit similar in shape to a pear, which is found in high altitude areas of Hezheng.
“We have expanded our business and come up with a new model,” said Zhou Yanli, vice-president of the group.
“We are working with local farmers to promote piteguo planting,” she added. “This has increased supply and at the same time helped local people financially.”
Farmers have been taught to plant and cultivate piteguo before selling their crops back to the Gansu Hezheng Baba Piteguo Group above the average market price. Zhou Yanli, vice-president of Gansu Hezheng Baba Piteguo Group
Last year, the company also leased land from local families to increase piteguo production.
Up to 161,000 mu (10,733 hectares) of land in Hezheng, or roughly the size of 15,000 soccer pitches, have been turned over to growing the fruit.
The value of the crop is expected to be around 195 million yuan ($29.88 million).
“Piteguo has become the main income for our family,” said Cao Yun, a local farmer.
“Before, the average income was about several hundred yuan per year, but now we can earn more than 10,000 yuan per person a year,” he added.
More than 1,260 households from 28 villages cultivate piteguo for the Hezheng Baba Group, which has also launched a flower festival to attract tourists to the region.
According to the company, about 665,000 people attended the month long festival in April and May with revenue topping 290 million yuan.
Official statistics showed that people in the county considered to be in poverty dropped from 37,700 in 2014 to 23,900 last year.
We are working with local farmers to promote piteguo planting. This has increased supply and at the same time helped local people financially.”