Wild boar farming in the deep mountains forges a path to prosperity
Ren Zongyong is feeding the wild boars with green fodder
Nowadays, ecological "mountain-running pigs" that are free-range rather than confined and fed grain rather than feed are favored by more and more consumers for their delicious meat, safety and health. In a mountain forest in Yujing Village, Zonghai Township, more than 50 km from Yanting County seat, more than 400 "special wild boars" are kept free-range. They move freely on the mountain every day, feeding on green grass and grain. Recently, a reporter walked into the Yanting Yujing Mountain Wild Boar Breeding Farm and interviewed 52-year-old farmer Ren Zongyong about his story of returning home to start a business.
Zonghai Township is mainly hilly terrain with a backward economy, and breeding has become the main industry for local people to get rich and increase income. While working away from home, Ren Zongyong had always cherished the dream of returning home to start a business. In 2009, Ren Zongyong, who was a manager at a ceramics factory in Guangdong, resolutely quit his job. After extensive investigation, he went to Fujian and introduced 11 "special wild boar" breeding pigs, beginning a arduous road of entrepreneurship, and established Mianyang Yujinshan Wild Boar Breeding Co., Ltd. Since 2009, he has transferred more than 260 mu of abandoned land and mountain forest from surrounding farmers to plant forage grass and build free-range bases, and has invested a total of about 2 million yuan in improving various types of infrastructure.
"Our place has clear mountains and beautiful waters, good entrepreneurship policies, and strong support from the local government, which funded the improvement of infrastructure for me, including the 1.9 km road built outside this breeding farm, and also hardened more than 1,000 sq m of the threshing ground." Speaking of the government's support and help, Ren Zongyong was full of gratitude. The local government gave strong support in land transfer, entrepreneurship support, policy consultation, project funds and other aspects.
Ren Zongyong introduced that when the piglets are 3 months old, they are driven up the mountain to be kept free-range, and the breeding cycle reaches three years. In order to ensure that the pork is green and safe, feeding is very particular. "All the feed is corn flour, wheat flour, ryegrass, sweet potato vines and so on that we grind ourselves, and absolutely no nutrients or additives are added. The breeding farm has also specially built a green fodder planting field of more than 60 mu, planted with sweet potato vines, ryegrass and so on. The wild boars eat these green ecological grains every day to supplement vitamins and amino acids."
It is worth mentioning that the breeding farm separates the wild boar manure into dry and wet parts. The dry manure is piled for fermentation, and the liquid manure is collected in a newly built 70-cubic-meter livestock manure pit and used as fertilizer for forage grass, realizing green ecological circular breeding. Now, the breeding farm has achieved results. Last year it sold 120 wild boars, with an income of more than 400,000 yuan. There are nearly 400 heads currently on hand, and 150 can be marketed by the end of this year. The selling price is 25 yuan/jin for live pigs and 40 yuan/jin for dressed meat, and the expected income will reach more than 700,000 yuan. "There are many migrant workers in our township and much abandoned land. Ren Zongyong returned home to engage in breeding and transferred a large amount of mountain forest land. The grain he feeds the wild boars is also purchased from the Zonghai Township Xingyuan Grain Planting Cooperative. This year alone it harvested 45 tons of wheat, creating considerable income for the villagers and playing a driving role in the local economic development." said Zhang Kenan, Party Secretary of Zonghai Township. The breeding farm has now begun to take shape. Feeding with grain and recycling manure means no bad smell and no pollution, realizing ecological circular breeding. Next, the government will also help him establish rotating wild boar free-range land, protect the surrounding greenery, and build an e-commerce platform to expand sales channels.
Recently, Alibaba's rural Taobao project is being vigorously promoted in Yanting. Ren Zongyong plans to build a cold storage and use the e-commerce platform to broaden sales channels, so that citizens can taste safe, healthy, high-quality and delicious free-range wild boar meat.