Fast vegetables hit the internet and sell well, helping farmers get rich

Early yesterday morning, the breeze carried the breath of spring. In the vegetable greenhouses of Zaxingliu Village, Muli Town, Gaoqing County, there was a scene full of busy figures. "The greenhouse covering 10 mu earns a net 120,000 just from harvesting garland chrysanthemum. We want to learn this 'fast vegetable' model too." The discussion among several villagers caught the reporter's attention. The "fast vegetable" grower they were talking about is named Qi Lizhu. Today his wealth-building model is being imitated by nearby vegetable farmers, who have one after another relied on greenhouse planting to get on the road out of poverty.

Twenty years ago, Qi Lizhu, whose family was poor, dropped out of school before finishing high school and returned home. "I worked as a laborer, did business, and worked as a truck driver, but none of it changed my family's dire straits," Qi Lizhu told the reporter. In the spring of 2009, while idly browsing online, he accidentally learned about the highly efficient model of rotational greenhouse vegetable planting, and the idea of growing vegetables in greenhouses was born. After getting his family's consent, he immediately quit his job as a truck driver and became a professional vegetable farmer.

"I first built a winter-warm greenhouse of 3 mu, then went online to look up information and find courseware, bought agricultural supplies, and at the same time invited county and town vegetable experts to guide me on site. I never expected to make a net 30,000 yuan in the first year." Qi Lizhu excitedly told the reporter that at the time, driving a truck brought in an annual income of only 10,000 to 20,000, and it was dirty and tiring, not to mention life-threatening. By comparison, growing in greenhouses was much easier and earned more. The reporter saw that his winter-warm vegetable greenhouses now cover 20 mu, and the "fast vegetable" model of rotational vegetable planting is being widely promoted among nearby vegetable farmers. "Qi Lizhu is our village's vegetable-growing expert. He has a nimble mind and broad experience. Following him is sure to be right!" With Qi Lizhu's guidance and help, villager Qi Lixin also built winter-warm greenhouses covering 8 mu, and in that very year he earned 80,000 to 90,000, grinning so widely he could not close his mouth.

"The internet let me find the path to wealth. Next, I will continue to expand the planting scale, and at the same time learn online sales, take the e-commerce route, and lead everyone to make a good job of this vegetable business." Qi Lizhu said full of confidence. During the interview, the reporter learned that under Qi Lizhu's leadership, the vegetable greenhouses in Zaxingliu Village have grown to more than 700 mu. Every year, out-of-town buyers come to place orders, and the vegetables are sold to Zhangdian, Binzhou, Zouping and other places, filling the gap in the seasonal vegetable market during the winter slack period. "Fast vegetables" are in short supply, which has also put poor households once like Qi Lizhu onto the fast track to prosperity.