Vegetable Farming Opens a Path to Prosperity: Guo Changrong and the Rewards of Hard Work

Heaven Does Not Starve Diligent People

-- Guo Changrong Opens a Path to Prosperity Through Vegetable Farming

"Plant vegetables, plant melons, plant happiness in many a greenhouse; with two hands, brave the wind and snow to welcome a moderately prosperous life." On the gate of the vegetable cooperative run by Guo Changrong and his partners in Longtan Village, Machang Town, Zhenning Autonomous County, a bright red Spring Festival couplet is pasted. The horizontal scroll is even more interesting, reading "Heaven Does Not Starve Diligent People." Guo Changrong said with a smile that he wanted this horizontal scroll to remind the villagers that only through hard work can one achieve prosperity.

"We just built 10 new vegetable greenhouses not long ago, each covering 1 mu. In the new year, we will strengthen management, make our green pollution-free vegetable brand even more well-known, expand the scale of vegetable farming, and lead more villagers to prosperity." On February 6, Guo Changrong could hardly wait to gather his "comrades-in-arms" in vegetable farming from Longtan Village, Machang Town, Zhenning Autonomous County. They were planning to fight a splendid "vegetable farming battle" in 2017.

Guo Changrong, 44 years old this year, is a vegetable farming king in Longtan Village, Machang Town. He spent over a decade working on farms in the Zhejiang area, growing vegetables for bosses. As his parents at home grew older, he began to think about returning home to start his own business.

One day, he read in the newspaper that Guizhou was carrying out a major poverty alleviation campaign, and traditional agriculture was undergoing industrial restructuring. He concluded that returning home to grow vegetables was a good choice, and with his more than 10 years of vegetable farming experience, he was sure he could accomplish something. In March of last year, Guo Changrong returned to his hometown and led 8 other farmers from Longtan Village to establish the Ronghua Planting Agricultural Professional Cooperative. The cooperative raised a total of 680,000 yuan at startup. Through negotiation with the villagers, they leased a total of 62 mu of villagers' land and built dozens of vegetable greenhouses, all planted with vegetables, including more than 10 varieties such as peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage.

"This year the tomatoes got off to a great start, the market was good, and they sold at a good price, but it really wore everyone out." Guo Changrong told reporters that with the newly established cooperative, the market was not yet mature at first, and initial yields were not high, so the 9 cooperative members drove their own trucks to sell at the market. Although it was hard work, the price was considerably higher than the wholesale price at the fields. "Our vegetable varieties are good, all certified to green standards. The vendors are very shrewd -- they know exactly what vegetables are good, and now they chase after us to buy." Guo Changrong said that nowadays, as soon as vegetables ripen in the fields, they are snapped up by nearby vegetable vendors within a few days.

"Before the Spring Festival, we brought a new batch of vegetables to market, and in just over ten days, more than half was sold. The ordinary people also got a taste of the benefits." Guo Changrong did the math for reporters: previously, the fields grew corn or rice, and not even counting labor, the net income per mu was at most 1,000 yuan. Now, with vegetable greenhouses built and vegetables planted, one mu of land can yield three harvests a year, with an annual output value of at least 10,000 yuan -- ten times the original farming income.

"When it comes to growing vegetables, what we fear most is natural disaster!" Guo Changrong frankly told reporters that on May 19, 2016, Longtan Village was hit by a windstorm that occurs once in ten years. It damaged some vegetable greenhouses and crushed the vegetables inside, causing the cooperative considerable losses.

"Fortunately, the Machang Town government gave us great support, willing to convert project funds into loans to help us get through the difficult times." Guo Changrong added that the members were also very united. With the government's help, there is no difficulty that cannot be overcome.

"I have always stuck to my original idea -- returning home to guide villagers in changing traditional agricultural concepts, developing modern agriculture, increasing villagers' income a bit, and improving the lives of the people in the village." Speaking of his plans for the new year, Guo Changrong said he hopes more villagers will invest in the cooperative, expand the scale of the vegetable farming base, and lead more villagers together onto the path to prosperity.