Cai Chang, a major livestock farmer in Xinfeng Village, Weining, realizes his dream of prosperity through raising sheep

In June, walking into Lushan Town, the green tea covering the hills and the lush trees form a unique scene. In this green mountain, a shepherd in his 40s is holding a whip and driving a flock of sheep through the mountains. He is Cai Changping, a major livestock farmer in Xinfeng Village, Lushan Town.

Speaking of Cai Changping's farming experience, one must go back many years to when he began exploring the road to prosperity.

Never giving up on the road to prosperity

Lushan Town, located in the northeast of Weining County, is a major coal-producing town. Combined with the prevalence of Weining's traditional zinc smelting at one time, by the 1990s the town's per capita income had already reached more than 2,000 yuan. Many families embarked on the road to prosperity thanks to the abundant coal resources, and some even became bosses.

Cai Changping, living in Xinfeng Village, Lushan Town, naturally did not escape the impact of the town's economic tide. In his memory, from the age of 18 he began his unremitting struggle in life. In his 20s, with the help and guidance of friends, he had already learned to drive a Dongfang-brand vehicle. At that time, full of youthful vigor, Cai Changping used his Dongfang vehicle to help others transport coal for zinc smelting, while also building several small furnace houses in the village. Like many people in Lushan Town, he dreamed of becoming a coal and zinc-smelting boss, and his days went smoothly, making others quite envious.

However, such good times did not last long.

In 1996, amid the county-wide major overhaul of coal pits, their containers and zinc smelting, Cai Changping seemed to return overnight to being an ordinary commoner.

After 1997, with almost no hope in sight, Cai Changping chose to work at a nearby small coal plant, earning five or six thousand yuan a month in hard-earned pay to support his family.

However, after working there for several years in a row, Cai Changping felt that working for others at the coal plant was never a long-term solution, so he thought of returning home to start his own business and get rich.

In 2013, full of entrepreneurial confidence, Cai Changping, with the help of the Xinfeng Village Committee, contracted more than 2,000 mu of forest land in the village and began developing under-forest planting and breeding.

Over nearly 10 years of struggle, Cai Changping never gave up on the road to prosperity.

The road of farming is not smooth

However, Cai Changping, who was wholeheartedly developing under-forest planting and breeding to get rich, never expected that he would stumble once again.

In 2013, after contracting more than 2,000 mu of forest land in the village, Cai Changping confidently planted more than 3,000 Chinese cedar trees on the forest land, made full use of the wild tangli trees in the forest to graft more than 2,000 pear trees, and also raised more than 1,000 free-range chickens on the forest land.

Looking at the more than 2,000 mu of contracted forest land, the Chinese cedars he had planted with his own hands, the grafted pear trees and the free-range chickens he had raised, Cai Changping's heart was full of expectation.

However, what Cai Changping did not expect was that in the winter of that same year, due to the rush of time and his lack of any farming experience, and because no breeding base had been built, more than 500 free-range chickens were frozen to death by the bitter cold snap, and the remaining more than 400 were gradually lost in the woods due to later poor management. Cai Changping's dream of getting rich by raising chickens was shattered, but he still did not lose heart.

In June 2014, unwilling to admit defeat after the chicken-raising failure, Cai Changping once again, together with several partners in the village, jointly borrowed 230,000 yuan to build a pig farm on the original forest land. They jointly engaged in pig farming and also rented 40 mu of land from nearby villagers to plant potatoes, rye and other crops specifically for breeding. After nearly two years of development, the pig farming had finally grown to more than 100 head, but because of the sharp drop in pig prices and the relatively high input costs, after the pigs jointly invested in by Cai Changping and his partners were sold, they lost everything.

Along the way, the farming path of Cai Changping and his partners was by no means smooth, yet even in a disadvantaged position, Cai Changping and the others still refused to give up.

Partnering to raise sheep brings happiness

In April 2015, just when Cai Changping and the others were feeling depressed over their failures, a new turning point appeared once again in the way to prosperity through farming.

After making inquiries all around, Cai Changping learned from a relative's home in Baicaoping that raising sheep could be profitable and that the state's assistance policies were very good. So the eager Cai Changping hurried home and discussed with several partners investing again in raising local sheep. As it turned out, the partners' opinions coincided perfectly, and together they jointly invested more than 100,000 yuan to buy back more than 200 local native goats from Baicaoping in one go for a "pen-raising plus free-range" approach.

Very soon, the flock jointly raised by Cai Changping and his partners grew to more than 300, showing new hope for prosperity. Several friends in the village felt that the flock raised by Cai Changping and his partners had great prospects, so they also joined their partnership farming circle. At present, the number of partners has grown to 9, and Cai Changping has become the "lead sheep" of the flock-raising operation.

Cai Changping said that, in consideration of factors such as the continuous growth of the flock, limited farming sites and a shortage of funds, the 9 partners currently adopt a division of responsibilities and separate-site farming. Among the 9 partners, 5 contribute labor and effort, each responsible for raising 60 sheep, with the farming method being that each drives them back home for "pen-raising plus free-range." The remaining 4 are responsible for the source and turnover of farming funds, and they pay the 5 partners who raise the sheep a hard-work fee and living allowance of 1,500 yuan per person per month, settled monthly. After the raised sheep are sold, the profits earned are then split equally among the 9 partners.

During the interview, the reporter saw that the more than 300 sheep were fat and strong, and the farming momentum was very good.

At the end of the interview, Cai Changping told the reporter that the current mutton market price is good, and some merchants have offered to order from them at a price of 18 to 20 yuan per jin. However, considering that they want to keep expanding and strengthening the flock, and only after forming a farming system will they sell in batches, up to now they have not sold a single sheep, nor are they willing to sell the sheep at this time. Therefore, there are many difficulties and problems, but he believes that everything will only be temporary. No matter how great the difficulties and problems, he and his partners will persist and keep expanding the flock. Once it reaches scale, they will lead and demonstrate for more surrounding people to increase income and prosper together.