Yin Guili, a leader in escaping poverty and achieving prosperity, turns farmland into a golden orchard

She resolutely returned to her hometown from the city to grow grapes, turning once low-yielding farmland into a "golden" orchard; she freely brought grape-growing techniques into the village, helping her fellow villagers prosper; her orchard takes in nearby villagers to work and helps poor households escape poverty. She is Yin Guili of the Dabaoshu Village Group, Chalimo Village Committee, Lianchi Township, Yongren County.

In the eyes of the Dabaoshu villagers, Yin Guili is a leader in becoming rich through and through.

Previously, Yin Guili had been working in Kunming. To make it easier to care for the elderly and children at home, in 2009 she resolutely returned to her hometown to start a business. After investigation, Yin Guili found that the grape sales market was large, and growing grapes might be a good way to become rich. So in 2009, with a state microcredit poverty alleviation loan subsidy of 20,000 yuan per household, Yin Guili also borrowed part of the funds from the bank as startup capital and began growing 11 mu of late red grapes. The second year after planting, Yin Guili got a taste of success. She said, "In the past, when I worked away from home, I earned only more than 10,000 a year after working myself to death, but growing grapes brings a net profit of more than 10,000 per mu." Now, Yin Guili's grape land has expanded from the original 11 mu to 24 mu, with annual net profit reaching more than 200,000 yuan. "If grapes are planted and managed well, they can produce for 50 years, with one harvest a year. The money I earn now in a year is 20 times what it was before," Yin Guili said excitedly.

Seeing Yin Guili's farmland become a "golden" orchard, many farming households in the village came one after another to "learn from her." Yin Guili did not hide anything and passed on her grape-growing techniques to her fellow villagers. One after another, more than 10 households in Dabaoshu Village began growing grapes, and later several households in surrounding villages were also inspired to grow them together. Liu Tianxing said, "My family used to grow traditional crops and had an annual harvest of 20,000, with almost nothing left after all living expenses. Now growing grapes brings a net income of more than 70,000 a year." Li Guisheng's family planted 14 mu of grapes and got fruit the second year. He said, "Our grapes have had a bumper harvest for 4 years now, and there is no need to worry about sales at all. Merchants come into the fields from outside the province and abroad to buy them."

In the lush green grape field, clusters of grapes bent the branches, and the farmers were busy pruning. While working, Yin Guili said, "Every time it is bagging, spraying, pruning, or picking fruit, it is the busiest time of the year, and we need to hire workers from the village. The 24 mu of grape land needs more than 90 people to help with the work." Dabaoshu Village has a total of 3 registered poor households, and they all work in Yin Guili's grape field. Liu Jiaxue is one of them. She said, "My family grows strawberries, but once the season passes, we are idle. I go to work in Yin Guili's grape field, 80 yuan a day. Over more than 20 days a month, that is a fixed income of more than 1,600 yuan, just like drawing a salary. Anyway, being idle is still being idle. Being able to work in my own village is close by, earns money, and does not delay taking care of the family."

When the reporter was about to leave Yin Guili's grape field, Yin Guili pointed to the hill opposite and said happily, "That hill is also my family's. I want to plant 8 mu of Yunnan red pears there next year. Now that I have the techniques and experience, I want to work hard for a few more years and make life better and better." The road leading to Yin Guili's grape field is still a pond-stone road. During the interview, the reporter learned that by the end of the year, a 2-kilometer cement road with an investment of 500,000 yuan will be built into Dabaoshu Village, leading directly to Yin Guili's grape field. By then, road transport conditions will be greatly improved. Reporter Qiu Junzhu