Using yellow mealworms for rice field eel farming: small investment, big profits

"The eel meat fed with yellow mealworms is fine and smooth, tender and delicious, and can fetch 30 yuan per jin during the Chinese New Year. Now nearly ten thousand jin of eels I raise have all been ordered by hotels in Quxian and Guang'an. This year's income of 100,000 is no problem, much better than working away from home." On August 23, when the author met Zeng Lingmao, a returning migrant worker and a villager of Group 10, Caijia Village, Guangxing Town, Guang'an District, he was feeding his eels with yellow mealworms. Speaking of the benefits of using yellow mealworms to develop a circular economy, Zeng Lingmao talked on and on.

Yellow mealworms, commonly known as breadworms, are the most ideal feed insects for artificial breeding. They contain 51% crude protein and 29% fat, and also contain various carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, hormones, enzymes and minerals such as phosphorus, iron, potassium, sodium and calcium. They have high nutritional value and broad market prospects, and can be used directly as high-protein live feed for carnivorous animals. They can accelerate growth and development, enhance disease resistance and stress resistance, reduce feed costs, and increase output efficiency.

In October 2007, Zeng Lingmao, then 27 years old and with only a high school education, was working in an electronics company in Shenzhen. When he learned online that raising yellow mealworms could realize his dream of becoming rich, he resolutely returned to his hometown to make arrangements for raising yellow mealworms, disregarding the firm opposition of his wife, who was also working in Shenzhen, and received strong support from the town Party committee and government.

After the factory building was completed, Zeng Lingmao went to a yellow mealworm breeding base in Chengdu and calmly studied the technology for two months, then introduced yellow mealworms for breeding in February 2008. He had originally planned to sell the yellow mealworms he raised, but later, after checking online, he found that yellow mealworms are the best feed for eels and chickens, and that using yellow mealworms to raise eels and chickens could bring greater returns. So he expanded the existing factory building and built two 1000-square-meter eel breeding ponds and a pheasant breeding farm.

He also planted lotus in the eel ponds, which not only solved the problem of rats stealing and eating the eels, but also brought considerable income from planting lotus."

"The eels I raise with yellow mealworms are generally not sold at ordinary times, mainly during the Spring Festival. First, the price is as high as about 30 yuan per jin; second, the eels are of good quality at this time." The integrated operation of worms, eels, chickens and lotus gave Zeng Lingmao a taste of success. In 2008 his net income was 80,000 yuan, and this year he expects to earn 150,000 yuan. "I plan to hold a special training class and pass on all the breeding techniques and experience I have explored free of charge to the local people, so as to lead the people to become rich together." Zeng Lingmao's words were simple but profound, and inspired deep respect.