A disabled "Bamboo Rat King" with a loving heart earns nearly 400,000 yuan in net income a year
On August 26, the author came to Hetian Village, Xiacengpu Town, Jiangyong County, with its beautiful scenery. At the entrance of a workshop hung a sign reading "Yongming Bamboo Rat Imitation Ecological Breeding Professional Cooperative," which was particularly eye-catching. More than 600 bamboo rats are raised here.
The person in charge of the cooperative is named He Shaoping, 36 years old this year, who became disabled due to muscular atrophy in both hands. Chen Yihui, the head of Xiacengpu Town, introduced: "He Shaoping is the 'Bamboo Rat King' who raises the most bamboo rats in the cooperative, and he is also a good village cadre. He is currently helping many disabled people and poor households raise bamboo rats to escape poverty and become prosperous."
A few years ago, with a stubborn unwillingness to admit defeat, He Shaoping thoroughly mastered the methods of raising bamboo rats. Not only did he carve out a path to prosperity for himself, but he also helped his fellow villagers escape poverty. On June 26 this year, the "Bamboo Rat Imitation Ecological Breeding Professional Cooperative," composed of disabled people and professional breeders, was established. The cooperative now has 10 member households, 5 of which are disabled.
He Shaoping usually does not talk much, but when it comes to his entrepreneurial experience, he opens up. He told the author that after graduating from junior high school, he had gone south to Guangdong to work several times, but because his hands were not nimble, factories were unwilling to take him in. He tried raising cattle, fish and dogs, all of which ended in failure. By chance, he saw information on television about raising bamboo rats. He compared the conditions of his hometown with it and found them suitable for bamboo rat breeding, and there were even wild bamboo rats locally. So in October 2011, he took out the family's only savings of 3,400 yuan and bought 10 pairs of bamboo rats to begin trying to raise them.
Due to a lack of technology and experience, of the 10 pairs of bamboo rats He Shaoping raised, only 9 were left alive within a few days. Seeing that he was about to lose everything, his parents and some well-meaning friends advised him to give up. He Shaoping had no words to answer, but in his heart he still refused to accept it. At this time his only supporter was his own wife. In 2012, she sent home more than 20,000 yuan she had saved from working and reintroduced 70 pairs. Through constant practice, He Shaoping figured out a set of bamboo rat breeding experience. Starting with improvements to the bamboo rats' food, in addition to giving them one or two sticks of bamboo each day, he also fed them carrots, soybeans, wheat and rice bran. These were all produced by He Shaoping himself, which both saved costs and maintained original ecological feeding.
"Now the survival rate of bamboo rat pups is high, reaching 98% in spring, and the survival rate in winter also reaches 70%-80%." He Shaoping's words were full of confidence. Now, He Shaoping's bamboo rat breeding has grown to more than 600, with an output value of more than 200,000 yuan.
He Shaoping told the author that each jin of bamboo rat can sell for 65 yuan, and many hotels in surrounding counties and cities come to his door to ask for goods, with demand exceeding supply. With such generous returns, He Shaoping wants to help more disabled people and, even more, to make the industry bigger.
"He is truly a good man. Without his help, perhaps I could only stay at home eating idle meals." said Li Shuide, a 58-year-old villager from Group 14 of Xiacengpu Village. Three years ago he suffered cerebral thrombosis, which left him with aftereffects, and he could not work in the fields. Last year He Shaoping provided rat breeding stock at a discounted price, taught breeding techniques free of charge, and gave free guidance on disease prevention and treatment, helping him raise 20 bamboo rats. It is estimated that this year the bamboo rats he raises will grow to 100, with an annual income of more than 20,000 yuan.
In the second half of last year, Jiangyong County vigorously carried out targeted poverty alleviation. Jiangyong Rural Commercial Bank issued He Shaoping poverty alleviation loan funds of 50,000 yuan. Using this money and his own savings, He Shaoping built a spacious bamboo rat breeding farm. "My newly built bamboo rat breeding farm can raise more than 3,000 bamboo rats. I want to go all out and lead disabled people and poor households to raise bamboo rats and become prosperous together." He Shaoping is full of confidence about expanding the scale of breeding.
Today, the scale of the Yongming Bamboo Rat Imitation Ecological Breeding Professional Cooperative continues to grow. Its members have spread to 4 townships, raising more than 5,000 bamboo rats, with annual net income of nearly 400,000 yuan. Cooperative member Deng Guifang of Taochuan Town has now grown to 500, and Zhang Yude of Yuankou Township has grown to 300. He Shaoping said: "There are still more than 20 disabled people and poor households who want to join the cooperative. I will do my best to help them escape poverty and become prosperous together with me by raising bamboo rats."