Couple breeds Quasipaa spinosa frogs: a chorus of frogs sings a song of prosperity
On the morning of September 7, Xie Ronglun, chairman of the Quasipaa spinosa Professional Cooperative in Shangyi Township, Taihe County, told this writer, "It is not hard once you pick the right industry." Xie Ronglun and his wife Hua Youfang raise Quasipaa spinosa frogs deep in the mountains, and the chorus of frogs sings a delightful song of prosperity. Quasipaa spinosa, also known as the stone frog and called "shiguai" in the Taihe dialect, is a rare mountain delicacy that grows in the hilly and mountainous areas of southern China. Because its flesh is fine and tender and rich in mineral elements, gourmets call it the "king of a hundred frogs," and consumers favor it greatly. It is expected that shortly before the 2017 Spring Festival, the professional cooperative will be able to produce commodity-grade Quasipaa spinosa frogs on a large scale, which can not only create substantial returns but also solve the employment problem of some surplus rural labor in the surrounding area.
Is it hard to escape poverty and become prosperous? On the morning of September 7, Xie Ronglun, chairman of the Quasipaa spinosa Professional Cooperative in Shangyi Township, Taihe County, told this writer, "It is not hard once you pick the right industry." Xie Ronglun and his wife Hua Youfang raise Quasipaa spinosa frogs deep in the mountains, and the chorus of frogs sings a delightful song of prosperity.
"Customers from Zhejiang and Guangdong have already called to order goods, commodity frogs will be on the market in September, the price is very good, and the returns are decent," Xie Ronglun said with a smile.
Since Shangyi Township in Taihe County began its poverty alleviation campaign in 2015, it has achieved notable results, enabling most farmers to increase their incomes and become prosperous. With the support and help of the local government, Xie Ronglun and Hua Youfang, a couple who are villagers of Xigang Village in the township, did not wait or rely on others but founded a Quasipaa spinosa professional cooperative. Using popular science books and the internet to teach themselves breeding techniques, the couple targeted the Quasipaa spinosa market and invested more than 500,000 yuan to build a Quasipaa spinosa breeding farm covering an area of 2,800 sq m deep in the mountains of Xigang Village.
According to Xie Ronglun, Quasipaa spinosa is also known as the stone frog and called "shiguai" in the Taihe dialect. It is a rare mountain delicacy that grows in the hilly and mountainous areas of southern China. Because its flesh is fine and tender and rich in mineral elements, gourmets call it the "king of a hundred frogs," and consumers favor it greatly.
After nearly two years of trial and error by Xie Ronglun and Hua Youfang, the operation has already begun to take shape. On their farm, there are now nearly 20,000 frogs of various kinds, including breeding frogs, tadpoles, young frogs and commodity frogs. It is expected that shortly before the 2017 Spring Festival, the professional cooperative will be able to produce commodity-grade Quasipaa spinosa frogs on a large scale, which can not only create substantial returns but also solve the employment problem of some surplus rural labor in the surrounding area.
It is reported that Xie Ronglun and Hua Youfang are optimistic about the prospects of Quasipaa spinosa breeding. Hua Youfang said that if market demand is large, they will further increase investment to expand the construction and breeding scale, and at the same time encourage nearby farmers to join the ranks of Quasipaa spinosa breeding.