Zhang Pengsuo Develops Specialty Farming to Lead Villagers to Increase Income and Prosper

Zhang Pengsuo is feeding the chickens

In early winter, warm sunlight spills over the land. Approaching the green-shell laying hen farm established by Zhang Pengsuo, secretary of the general branch of the Zhonghe Village Committee in Luoxiong Subdistrict, Luoping County, thousands of free-range green-shell laying hens are hopping and darting about on the branches, among the grass, and around the houses.

Zhang Pengsuo, busy scattering corn kernels to the flock, said: "I have always insisted on green free-range farming, without feeding any feed, to ensure the meat quality of the chickens and the eggs they lay are 'green', good in taste, and rich in nutrition."

The Zhonghe Village Committee governs 11 natural villages, which lack water and arable land. For a long time, the villagers have relied on farming for a living and have endured poverty; some villagers chose to go far away to the Jiangsu-Zhejiang area to work, finding it hard to return home even once over a long period, leaving the elderly and children unattended. Although they earn more or less some income, it is not a long-term solution.

For this reason, relying on the continuous green mountains, vast grasslands, and good ecology of his hometown, Zhang Pengsuo led the people to grow highland green vegetables and Panax notoginseng, and introduced new breeds of cattle and sheep for farming. In December 2015, he took the lead in raising green-shell laying hens, successfully turning the natural disadvantages of the Zhonghe Village Committee into a new distinctive advantage.

At present, driven by Zhang Pengsuo, many households, including Jin Cuixiang of Xiadojian Village and Li Jin of Yika Xiaozhai in the Zhonghe Village Committee, have also begun raising green-shell laying hens. Next, more people will join the ranks of raising green-shell laying hens, achieving increased income and prosperity.

"This year, Pengsuo asked me to help him raise chickens. At my age, I would just be idle at home, and here I still earn 1,000 yuan a month!" said Yang Xiaohua, 71 years old, who was picking up green-shell eggs with a basket. He is a poor registered household from Shangshaguo Village, and in no time he had picked up a full basket of green-shell eggs.

"Last year, I learned that there were basically no green-shell eggs on the market in Luoping. After discovering this business opportunity, I immediately went to Malong County to investigate and learn, and then introduced a small number of green-shell laying hens for trial raising. Unexpectedly, as soon as I started farming, the economic benefits became apparent," Zhang Pengsuo said.

"We sell each green-shell laying hen for an average of about 130 yuan, and each green-shell egg is more than 5 jiao higher than ordinary eggs. At present, they are mainly sold to this county and surrounding counties and cities, and traders from Kunming also come to buy them." Zhang Pengsuo introduced that at present, green-shell eggs have no trouble finding a market; what is most lacking is farming technology and financial support. Only when the scale increases will the benefits be better and the driving effect on the people stronger.

Speaking of the next steps for development, Zhang Pengsuo plans to establish a green-shell laying hen farming cooperative, so as to mobilize more people to participate in raising green-shell laying hens and expand the farming scale. In addition, he has also decided to register a green-shell egg brand called 'Baila Mountain', so as to form large-scale farming and brand-based development in the future.

In the future, more people on Baila Mountain will rely on raising green-shell laying hens to increase their income and prosper, and live a happier life.