Henan Man with Disability Becomes "Cucumber King," Leads a Hundred Fellow Disabled People to Prosperity Together
Fu Tianjun teaches growers agricultural technology knowledge inside a vegetable greenhouse.
Fu Tianjun and the disabled workers he hired pack freshly picked cucumbers together.
In Mapu Town, Luyi County, Henan Province, when Fu Tianjun's name comes up, many people give him a thumbs-up. "Tianjun is the town's 'Cucumber King.' A man with a disability earning 500,000 yuan in profit a year just from growing cucumbers is truly admirable." While building his own prosperity through entrepreneurship, Fu Tianjun also gives his techniques and seedlings to other disabled friends free of charge, has provided agricultural technology training to more than 2,000 people with disabilities in total, and has helped nearly a hundred disabled friends start successful businesses.
On July 12, the reporter walked into Fu Tianjun's vegetable planting base. Inside more than 10 neatly arranged greenhouses, cucumbers with blossoms still on their tips and spines on their skin were growing vigorously, and the disabled workers he hired were busy picking cucumbers. After packaging, these fresh cucumbers are sent by the fastest logistics methods to large chain supermarkets and vegetable markets in Henan, Anhui, Shandong and other places.
"This year all 10 of my greenhouses, 30 mu of land, are planted with cucumbers. Average yield is 30,000 jin of cucumbers per mu. By my calculations, this year the gross profit from cucumbers alone will reach 500,000 yuan." Speaking of this year's cucumber harvest, Fu Tianjun was grinning from ear to ear, and this achievement is the result of 15 years of struggle by him and his wife.
In 2005, because of a herniated disc, Fu Tianjun was left with a level-four physical disability. Long-term medical treatment left the family 120,000 yuan in debt, and the household could barely bear the burden.
"Back then I lost money on farming, and my physical condition meant I couldn't do heavy work either. Duanzhuang Village in Mapu Town is a vegetable village famous throughout Henan Province, so I weighed vegetables there for people and kept track of the jin counts, earning 50 yuan a day. I dreamed of getting into vegetable growing. If I worked hard, I was sure I could live a good life." Fu Tianjun told the reporter that he tried every possible way, and together with his wife he set up a vegetable greenhouse. At that time the pain in his body made life worse than death, but he still gritted his teeth and persisted.
Gradually, relying on sheer stubbornness, the eager-to-learn Fu Tianjun studied and figured out pollution-free vegetable growing techniques and experience. Fu Tianjun insists on using farmyard manure for the vegetables he grows. The cucumbers he produces are not only high-yielding and pollution-free but also taste good and look good, with a single cucumber averaging 0.4 kg and a yield of 30,000 jin per mu, selling at a relatively higher price. Combined with his unique management techniques, the picking period can exceed 125 days. This year the cucumbers in his greenhouses have a high yield and have also hit a good price and a good market, so the cucumbers are in short supply.
Having grown prosperous himself, Fu Tianjun has not forgotten to give back to society. In recent years, with the help of the Luyi County Disabled Persons' Federation, Fu Tianjun has moved the agricultural technology classroom next to his vegetable greenhouses, providing free vegetable growing skills training to more than 2,000 people with disabilities, hiring people with disabilities to work at his vegetable base, helping 98 people with disabilities build greenhouses and start businesses, and providing free seedlings to poor disabled people with full follow-up technical guidance, guaranteeing that they will learn and master the skills.
"Tianjun is the leader who helps us disabled people get rich. Whenever there's a problem with growing, give him a call and he comes on his three-wheeler. When the cucumbers have pests or diseases, he prescribes treatments to help. Thanks to his help, I can earn more than 30,000 yuan this year!" Wanyan Sanhe, a person with a disability, happily told the reporter.
In 2015, Fu Tianjun's vegetable growing cooperative was named a Henan Province poverty alleviation base for disabled people by the Henan Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation, and its experience in helping disabled people was promoted throughout the province. His vegetable base has also become an important supply base for the "vegetable basket project." Fu Tianjun has also received many honors, including "Henan Province Science and Technology Leader," "Zhoukou City Disabled Person Able to Get Rich," and "Luyi County Disabled Person Getting Rich Model."
After this year's cucumbers are cleared from the greenhouses, Fu Tianjun will be busy growing off-season vegetables such as green peppers, long beans and baby cabbage. Peppers in particular can be grown right up until before the Spring Festival, which will bring in another considerable income.
"I could not be where I am today without the country's good policies benefiting agriculture and people with disabilities, and without the support of so many disabled friends. I will also do my humble part to give back to society and help more disabled friends live a good life," Fu Tianjun said.