Dingxi potatoes lead the way to prosperity, helping farmers increase income and become well-off
Dingxi City, Gansu Province, is a main battlefield for poverty alleviation in the province and across the country. Vigorously cultivating prosperity-building industries is an important measure for targeted poverty alleviation in Dingxi. After long-term efforts, the potato industry has become the largest industry for poverty alleviation and income growth. In 2015, the total output value reached 13.5 billion yuan, and the net income of potato farmers from the industry was 1,280 yuan, accounting for 22% of the per capita disposable income of farmers.
Policy guidance: 70% of poor households have taken up potato cultivation
In poor villages, Dingxi carefully cultivates prosperity-building and income-increasing industries such as potatoes, Chinese medicinal herbs, grass-fed livestock, vegetables, and dryland farming. The agriculture departments at the city and county levels have all established leading groups and offices for the cultivation of prosperity-building industries to support targeted poverty alleviation, specifically responsible for the targeted poverty alleviation work of cultivating prosperity-building industries. In April this year, the Dingxi City Agriculture Bureau and the City Poverty Alleviation Office formulated the "Implementation Plan for Further Deepening the Promotion of the Potato Industry to Boost Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Targeted Poverty Elimination," which set annual goals and tasks for the cultivation of the potato prosperity-building industry and broke them down to each county and district to ensure that all tasks for cultivating the potato prosperity-building industry are implemented.
To support the development of the potato industry, the Dingxi City finance department allocates 5 million yuan each year to support the development of the potato staple food industry; around the introduction and promotion of improved varieties for poor households, funds are raised and integrated from multiple sources to implement the virus-free seed potato one-tenth-of-a-mu project; it actively seeks to implement the Ministry of Agriculture's primary processing project for agricultural products at the place of origin. The city has built 936,000 various storage warehouses (pits), with a storage capacity of 3.5 million tons, driving poor households to build 76,000 storage pits. At the same time, each county and district also actively raises funds to support industrial development.
Strong policy guidance has promoted industrial development and produced a prosperity-building effect that benefits poor households. In 2015, Dingxi planted 2,935,200 mu of potatoes, with an output of more than 5 million tons. A total of 105,900 poor households (70% of the city's 151,700 registered poor households) planted 289,200 mu, with an output of 480,000 tons. It produced 800 million virus-free pre-basic seed potatoes. There are 32 seed potato production enterprises, employing 528 poor household workers, with an average annual income of 30,000 yuan per person. New agricultural business entities built 1.5 million mu of virus-free seed potato breeding bases, driving poor households to build 100,000 mu. There are 27 leading potato processing enterprises with an annual processing capacity of more than 10,000 tons, employing 432 poor household workers. A total of 377 potato farmers' professional cooperatives were established, covering 121 poor villages. More than 3,200 large transport and marketing households were developed, driving more than 6,900 poor households to engage in the sales and operation of fresh potatoes. Specialized unified prevention and control were promoted, and all 289,200 mu of potatoes planted by poor households received free pesticide control.
Multiple measures simultaneously to provide support for increasing poor households' income
In the process of developing the potato industry, Dingxi has adopted multiple measures and various models, forming a good pattern of enterprise assistance and mass participation. At the same time, it continuously innovates planting models to provide scientific and technological support for increasing poor households' income, and continuously strengthens technical training to provide intellectual support for increasing poor households' income.
Promote the upgrading of the seed potato industry and drive poor households to increase income by optimizing the planting structure. First, support 4 provincial-level and 28 city-level leading potato seed enterprises to choose poor villages with suitable conditions to establish seed potato breeding bases and drive poor households to increase income. In 2016, leading seed potato enterprises established 60,000 mu of basic seed expansion and propagation bases in poor villages, driving 30,000 poor households (including consolidation and improvement households) in suitable areas, with an improved variety rate of more than 80%. Second, encourage poor households with suitable conditions to implement the potato seed potato one-tenth-of-a-mu project. In poor villages with suitable conditions, 35,000 poor households (including consolidation and improvement households) are selected each year to implement the potato improved variety one-tenth-of-a-mu project, with each household planting 0.1 mu of pre-basic seed potatoes. Through self-breeding and self-planting year by year and exchanges with surrounding farmers, the area planted by poor households with improved potato varieties is continuously expanded, driving poor households to increase income.
Do a good job in building standardized planting bases and drive poor households to increase income through processing enterprises. First, adopt the “enterprise (cooperative) + base + poor households” model. The city's 15 provincial-level or above and 12 city-level leading potato processing enterprises, through land transfer, short-term leasing, and other forms, establish standardized raw material planting bases in poor villages with suitable conditions, driving poor households to steadily increase income. In 2016, 400,000 mu of bases were established, driving 50,000 poor households (including consolidation and improvement households) to plant 150,000 mu. In addition to fixed income from land transfer, poor households can also work nearby, with an annual income of more than 12,000 yuan per household. Second, the “staple food processing enterprise + poor households” model. Potato staple food processing enterprises in the city should sign special potato planting and purchase orders with poor households with suitable conditions, purchasing at a guaranteed floor price higher than the market price to drive poor households to increase income. In 2016, staple food processing enterprises established 50,000 mu of standardized bases for special varieties, driving 10,000 poor households (including consolidation and improvement households) to plant 25,000 mu.
Encourage and support leading potato seed and processing enterprises to absorb the labor force of poor households and drive income growth through employment. Through guidance by means of policies, projects, services, and other methods, encourage and support the city's 32 seed potato enterprises and 27 leading potato processing enterprises to give priority to absorbing and arranging poor household labor to work in enterprises, driving poor households (including consolidation and improvement households) to increase income. In 2016, 1,000 poor households (including consolidation and improvement households) were employed, with an average household income increase of 10,000 yuan.
Do a good job in potato insurance work to ensure that poor households steadily increase income. In 2016, the city planned to implement 2 million mu of potato insurance coverage, with 95% of poor potato-planting households (including consolidation and improvement households) benefiting.
Do a good job in building storage pits and drive poor households to increase income through sales. In poor potato-planting villages, priority is given to arranging the construction of potato storage pits, extending storage time, promoting balanced market supply, and achieving stable income growth. In 2016, poor households (including consolidation and improvement households) in the city newly built 200 potato storage pits, adding 3,000 tons of storage capacity. Due to the increasingly improved storage system and marketing system, the potato industry income of poor villages and poor households has been effectively promoted.
Actively support and cultivate new agricultural business entities, and absorb and unite poor households to achieve industrial income growth. The city has established 377 potato specialized cooperative organizations and more than 3,200 large marketing households. Through models such as “Internet+” and others, it helps poor households achieve industrial income growth.
Our reporter Zhao Jingping