Loach farming becomes a new path to prosperity for farmers in Chenzhou, Hunan

On May 11, in Baiyangtang Village, Yanquan Town, Yizhang County, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province, several large fish ponds shimmered with light, and loaches foraging leapt and tumbled. Farmer Li Geping, all smiles, was feeding the loaches in the pond with homemade earthen feed: "These are all treasures for escaping poverty and getting rich. They're hitting the market right now, so I have to take good care of them!"

Previously, Li Geping had always worked away from home, driving forklifts and working as a porter, with low income, and his family struggled on the poverty line. Once, he saw online that loaches contain multiple vitamins and are known as "ginseng of the water," especially suitable for people with weak constitutions, the elderly, and patients with cardiovascular diseases, and Li Geping came up with the idea of farming loaches. After investigating and understanding the market, Li Geping went to Guangzhou, Guangdong, and Zixing City, Hunan, and other places to learn high-density ecological loach farming techniques, and began to learn knowledge related to loach farming.

In December 2014, Li Geping invested more than 80,000 yuan, rented 5 mu of land in his hometown and dug it into ponds, and introduced the first batch of 100,000 loach fry from Foshan, Guangdong, and began to "go all out." But loaches are rather picky about their environment, and the rearing techniques are demanding. At the beginning of farming, due to lack of practice, the techniques were not yet mature. The loaches Li Geping farmed either died or escaped, or were eaten by birds and snakes. The survival rate of the 100,000 loach fry was only 30% to 40%, and that year he lost more than 30,000 yuan.

The road to success is never smooth sailing. Li Geping did not lose heart, and gradually figured out the way: using okara, fishmeal, and other ingredients to make high-protein feed, fermenting it, and feeding on time every morning and evening; the most critical thing is to control the water temperature and pH value. If the water used for farming does not meet standards and the feed formula is unsuitable, it will cause the loaches to develop mouth rot, white head, or even death. Learning while doing, constantly summarizing and adjusting, he finally became fully proficient, and the loaches were cared for quite well by him.

In October 2015, he increased his investment, bought another 150,000 fry, and surrounded the ponds with nylon netting to prevent natural enemies. He also bought a set of equipment for measuring water temperature and water quality, and insisted on testing every day. The survival rate increased to 70%.

Because he adopted ecological farming, the loaches Li Geping raised have tender meat and are rich in nutrients, and he has no worries about sales. "Each batch of loaches yields 1,500 jin per mu, 2 batches a year, and the market price is 25 yuan/jin, so I can earn more than 200,000 yuan a year. At present, more than 1,500 jin of the second batch of loaches have already been sold," Li Geping calculated the accounts beside the pond.

For villagers who need farming guidance, Li Geping earnestly instructs them in management, disease prevention, and other aspects, and provides free technical consultation. Three nearby villagers farm loaches under Li Geping's guidance, helping surrounding farmers escape poverty.

"If one person gets rich, that doesn't count as being rich; only when everyone gets rich is that being rich." Li Geping is very openhearted, and the small loaches have stirred up a "wave of prosperity."