Mountain-and-water cattle farming breaks new ground, building an integrated circular ecological industry chain
"Poor households join as shareholders with their cattle, and I give them all the profits from raising cattle; I earn money only through the ecological chain of cattle farming." On March 24, at the Damou Ecological Planting and Breeding Professional Cooperative in Laba Village, Dapo Village, Cheng Tai Township, cooperative head Su Damou told reporters this.
Su Damou is a native of Laba Village. After graduating from university, he started a company in 2002, mainly engaged in multimedia and direct drinking water systems, which now has annual operating revenue of more than 1.5 million. Since 2015, the county party committee and county government have taken multiple measures to promote industrial poverty alleviation, actively exploring effective poverty alleviation projects and cooperation models, stepping up publicity, and mobilizing and encouraging capable individuals and large households to set up cooperatives to drive poor households out of poverty and toward prosperity. Through extensive study and research, Su Damou decided to return to the village to discuss development plans with his fellow villagers, raising "mountain-and-water cattle" and developing distinctive planting and breeding industries.
In March this year, under the guidance of the Cheng Tai Township party committee and government, Su Damou established the Cheng Tai Township Damou Ecological Planting and Breeding Cooperative in Laba Village, developing "mountain-and-water cattle" farming and building a circular ecological industry chain integrating planting, breeding, organic fertilizer production, and eco-agricultural tourism. At present, the cooperative has transferred 800 mu of land, has built 7 cattle sheds, and is building 10 more, with a total construction area of 7,000 sq m, capable of housing more than 600 "mountain-and-water cattle". The cooperative plans to involve 100 poor households in raising "mountain-and-water cattle", and has so far signed up 71 households, 285 people. The cooperative has now signed an agreement with Guosheng Ecological Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd., paid a deposit of 200,000, and will introduce 120 "mountain-and-water cattle" in the initial phase.
Su Damou explained that poor households join the cooperative as shareholders with the 4 "Guangxi mountain-and-water cattle" they raise. The cooperative guarantees that after the cattle are sold, poor households will receive a profit share of at least 1,000 yuan per head per year. Poor households working at the cooperative earn no less than 70 yuan per day, and the cooperative currently employs no fewer than 20 people per day.
It is understood that in addition to raising cattle, the cooperative also plans to plant 450 mu of sweet corn and 30 mu of Wogan mandarins, raise 100 pigs and 1,000 chickens, and maintain 60 mu of fish ponds, forming an industry-chain style of development. Sweet corn can be harvested in 70 days and can be planted four seasons a year. Corn stalks are fermented to feed the cattle, cattle manure is fermented to breed earthworms, and the earthworms are used to feed chickens and fish. Earthworm castings are used to grow organic vegetables and sweet corn. Wastewater from poultry and livestock breeding is processed into organic fertilizer and fermented in biogas digesters, then used through a pumping and irrigation system for sweet corn, forage grass, and fruit tree cultivation, forming an integrated circular organic biological chain of planting and breeding. The project is expected to generate an annual profit of more than 3 million yuan once it reaches stable full production, directly creating employment for more than 50 poor people, with extremely considerable economic benefits.
Su Dabiao is a poor household in Laba Village. He happily told reporters: "Now with this 'mountain-and-water cattle' farming, all 15 poor households in Laba Village have joined the cooperative. My wife and I are both working at the cooperative now, and each of us earns 2,000 yuan a month. Our family has hope of escaping poverty and achieving prosperity!"