How cattle-raising whiz Zhang Xiping became a success
On May 20, the Caofeng Plateau in Kongtong District was bathed in bright sunshine and lush greenery. In Ximian Community of Changgou Village, Caofeng Township, 50-year-old Zhang Xiping was busy mixing fodder for his cattle in his newly built cowshed. Inside the shed of more than 60 sq m, Simmental cattle were mooing one after another. "Now I have to take good care of this herd of calves every day, and I'm very busy." Zhang Xiping spoke with contentment.
Zhang Xiping had always firmly believed that "with hands and feet and a willingness to endure hardship, one can surely live a good life." But within 3 years both of his sons had married one after the other, leaving him deep in debt, which suddenly plunged his family into hardship and earned him the label of "poor." He worked odd jobs and tended orchards, but none of it changed his family's impoverished situation.
"Zhang Xiping is diligent and able to endure hardship, and he has always wanted to escape poverty and get rich, but he just lacked a way to do it," said Qi Anlin, a village official assigned to the community. He explained that since the launch of targeted poverty alleviation and targeted poverty eradication, the township had actively supported villagers in developing beef cattle breeding, specialty fruit tree planting and other industries, and the implementation of various favorable policies gave Zhang Xiping new hope for escaping poverty and achieving prosperity.
Since the launch of targeted poverty alleviation and targeted poverty eradication in 2015, assistance officials at the district and township levels actively helped him set his approach, choose his industry and define his goals. They also helped Zhang Xiping apply for 8,000 yuan in project funds for breeding stock under the whole-village advancement program and a 50,000 yuan targeted poverty alleviation loan. He bought 4 Simmental cattle, built 3 new cowsheds and constructed a silage pit... Zhang Xiping also actively took part in various breeding skills training courses held by the township and gained a full command of all the skills needed for beef cattle breeding.
"Last year one cow sold for more than 10,000 yuan, and after deducting breeding costs I made a net profit of more than 6,000 yuan," Zhang Xiping said happily. Adding the income from family members doing odd jobs in the village orchard, in 2016 Zhang Xiping's whole family reached a per capita annual income of 4,277 yuan. Relying on his diligence and wisdom, Zhang Xiping was the first in the whole village to shed the "poor" label last year, becoming a "whiz" at escaping poverty and achieving prosperity.