Ecological pig farming has a bright future, and the pig herder has mastered the art of ecological breeding
When people mention Guo Tao, a villager from Huangbeijiao Village in Shaoyuan Town, many know the story of his under-forest farming operation, and they affectionately call him the "pig herder." Recently, a reporter visited Guo Tao's breeding base and saw him doing business with customers via his mobile phone. On the hillside behind him, chubby piglets were either leisurely foraging or chasing each other playfully.
Guo Tao, now 36 years old, had always wanted to do something practical after graduating from high school. By chance, he came across information about raising pigs under forest canopies, mulled it over repeatedly, and decided to give it a try. He surveyed the market, selected a site, bought piglets, and embarked on the path of pig farming.
As his breeding techniques matured, Guo Tao's farm continued to expand, growing from an initial 20 pigs to more than 400. However, good wine needs no bush - except when it is buried deep in a lane. How to sell the pigs he had raised well became a tough problem. Watching the piglets grow bigger day by day, Guo Tao was so anxious he paced in circles.
"If others can open online shops to sell goods, why can't I sell pigs online?" With this idea in mind, Guo Tao sold pigs through traditional channels while taking photos of his pigs, uploading them online, and starting to promote them on the internet.
The "pig photos" featuring excellent breeds and great appearance attracted the attention of quite a few buyers, and soon people were asking about prices online. A boss from Shanxi came to inspect and bought 3 pigs in one go. Not long after returning, he came back and bought 10 more pigs. Now, this boss has become Guo Tao's regular customer.
"Pigs raised under the forest need about 10 months before they can be sold. The purchase price is 12 yuan per jin. After deducting costs, each pig can bring in a profit of more than 1,000 yuan with no problem." Guo Tao explained that his pigs have been sold online to Shanxi and other places, and he can earn 100,000 yuan a year.
Speaking of the advantages of online sales, Guo Tao said the investment is small, results come quickly, and everything can be done without leaving home. As long as information about the pigs is posted, people will take notice. Not only that, it also brings farmers and consumers closer, providing a platform for both sides to learn techniques and exchange experience.
With smooth sales channels, Guo Tao's confidence in farming has grown even stronger. Talking about future development, Guo Tao said he wants to raise breeding sows, expand the scale of his operation, continue using online platforms to interact with consumers, and break through geographical limits at the lowest cost so that pigs raised under the forest can "walk" onto the dining tables of thousands of households. At the same time, he also wants to build his own brand and attract more big buyers to come and inspect.