Returning farmer who got rich raising pigeons does not forget his fellow villagers

Two years ago, Shi Chaoshun, a farmer from Lizhao Village, Jiulong Village, Mingliang Town, Shanglin County, responded to the call of the county Party committee and county government to return home and start a business, and came back to his hometown to begin his entrepreneurial journey in meat pigeon farming. Two years have passed, and meat pigeon farming has become a unique sight in Jiulong Village, and Shi Chaoshun has also become known to everyone as the "farmer pigeon king." But in his view, "getting rich alone does not count as getting rich; only when everyone gets rich together is it true prosperity."

Finding business opportunities while working away, returning home to raise meat pigeons

Shi Chaoshun, 49, has raised pigeons for 5 years. This somewhat shy farmer said he spotted the business opportunity while working in Nanning with his wife.

"I found that the economic returns from raising meat pigeons were pretty good, and on top of that, the cost of our children's schooling was increasing day by day, so the wages from working away were no longer enough to support us. Also, it seemed that not many people in Shanglin County raised pigeons, so going home to raise pigeons might be a good way to make a living." After thinking it over several times, Shi Chaoshun set his mind on returning home to raise pigeons.

He acted as soon as he made up his mind. In 2014, riding the momentum of the county Party committee and county government's call to return home and start businesses and the related policies, the couple raised 150 pairs of meat pigeons at home. Because he had accumulated a lot of pigeon-raising experience while working in Nanning before, Shi Chaoshun took to it with ease.

At Shi Chaoshun's breeding base, the reporter saw row upon row of neat pigeon cages standing on racks. Shi Chaoshun was busy feeding the pigeons, and pigeons of various colors competed to peck at the food. Shi Chaoshun said that the more than 500 sq m pigeon farm raised 1,700 pairs of meat pigeons.

Moving forward through trial and error, farming getting better and better

Like all entrepreneurs, Shi Chaoshun also experienced some setbacks: unfamiliarity with breeding techniques, a low pigeon survival rate, and a sudden drop in meat pigeon prices that led to losses, among others. But he did not give up, and the farm gradually began to improve and develop better and better.

While showing the reporter around the farm, Shi Chaoshun introduced his pigeon-raising experience: "If you want to raise pigeons well, you must select good breeding pigeons and do a good job preventing and treating pigeon diseases. Pigeons, like other animals, need temperature, humidity and ventilation kept within a certain range..." "Raising pigeons is like raising children; you have to raise them carefully so the pigeons grow well and lay more eggs." When talking about raising pigeons, Shi Chaoshun was extremely excited.

Pigeons love cleanliness, so he cleaned on schedule and did a good job with disinfection; pigeons are very picky about food, so he racked his brains to prepare tasty feed for them. Under his careful care, more than a thousand pigeons were lively and jumping about.

"They need to be fed five grains and miscellaneous cereals, the pigeon cages must be kept clean and well ventilated, and the droppings must be separated. Now I am very handy at how to raise and manage the pigeons. The price has also risen a lot. At present, one squab can sell for 18 yuan, and that is still the wholesale price. The profit is quite high!" Shi Chaoshun said happily.

Getting rich without forgetting his fellow villagers, driving poor households forward

As Nanning City's battle against poverty began, Shi Chaoshun was not idle either. He called on the poor households in the village to raise meat pigeons together with him.

At first, the poor households were hesitant because they lacked skills and funds. Li Tengyan, the village's dedicated poverty alleviation officer, organized the village's poor households to hold a special symposium, analyzed the project prospects of meat pigeon farming, with its short growth cycle and quick return of funds, as well as the relevant county and city poverty alleviation policies. Seeing that Shi Chaoshun, also a farmer, raised pigeons so well, the poor households made up their minds to follow Shi Chaoshun.

"Now the farm is developing better and better. As a man who has become rich, Shi Chaoshun also hopes to drive the nearby villagers to get rich together. This year he established the Shanglin County Ashun Meat Pigeon Ecological Breeding Professional Cooperative and absorbed 5 poor households into the cooperative to raise meat pigeons together. At present, the cooperative is expanding the farm. At first we were afraid of not having money, but now the county gives each household 5,000 yuan in industrial subsidies plus discounted loans, which solves the funding problem. With Shi Chaoshun around for technical matters, we are not afraid either. I am very confident about escaping poverty," said Huang Shouxian, a poor household.

In order to encourage Shi Chaoshun to drive more poor households to participate in meat pigeon farming, the county also said it would help him expand sales channels.

"Poor households can not only receive dividends at the end of the year according to the proportion of their invested principal, but as the scale expands, when poor households come to work each month, they can also earn a monthly wage of 1,800 yuan. On site, they can also be taught pigeon-raising techniques and learn while doing." Shi Chaoshun told the reporter that he plans to expand production and increase the number of meat pigeons to 3,000 pairs.