The Taro King opens up a new path to prosperity
When people talk about the Taro King Jiang Chunlei, everyone knows him well. In 2012, more than ten thousand jin of taro he had grown went unsold, and after media reports it drew the attention of the municipal party secretary; in the end, only with the support of government departments and friends did he recover part of his losses. The prices of agricultural and sideline products have always been unstable - in some years supply is low and prices are high, while in years with a big harvest, prices naturally fall. After years of hard knocks and experience, Jiang Chunlei shifted from growing taro alone to rotating rice, taro and fragrant taro, which not only earned the market's favor for the quality of his taro but also greatly improved his ability to withstand market risks. So how was the Taro King's harvest in 2015? With the Spring Festival approaching, what was he busy with? On February 25, our reporter and companions came to Jiang Chunlei's home to find out.
Arriving at Shangmujing Village, Jielüqiao Town, Lingling District, the weather was breezy and a little damp and cold. Learning that reporters had come to visit, Jiang Chunlei was somewhat beside himself with joy. As he drove past his taro field, he could not resist stopping and giving everyone a taste of the farm work of "pulling taro."
Jiang Chunlei, in the field, said: "This is fragrant taro - each one weighs two or three jin on average, not too big and not too small, and it sells very well on the market." To cope with unknown market risks, he had already begun looking for buyers around last November, gradually putting taro on the market when the price was around one yuan and five mao per jin, and by before the New Year it was basically all sold out. Because taro is large, it suits the Beijing market; the Guangzhou market is not picky and sells both large and small ones; the Changsha market is something of an old base and equally has no trouble selling. In this way, within two months, more than two hundred mu of taro were all dug out of the ground and shipped to various markets. He told reporters that the remaining several dozen mu of fragrant taro were all being kept for sale on the local market; as long as the taro is in the ground and there is no extreme cold, snow or ice, waiting a month or so is no problem, and then he can take the opportunity to sell at a good price.
Why had the widely known Taro King planted fragrant taro and rice? This inevitably raised questions in the reporter's mind. Jiang Chunlei said that, learning from the losses of earlier years, he could no longer put all his eggs in one basket. After seeking advice and learning from many sources, he decided to rotate rice and taro and also plant some fragrant taro suited to the local market. In this way, no matter how the market fluctuates, he could ensure that a year's harvest would not lose money and would even bring a small profit.
"In the past I did not understand taro cultivation techniques. After planting for a few years, I found that taro easily got insects and the quality was not good either. After adopting rotation, these problems all improved." Speaking of rotation, Jiang Chunlei explained that fields planted with taro are rotated every two years with fields planted with rice. Rice has good adaptability - as long as water is guaranteed, the harvest is secured - while taro, after being moved to loose soil, grows larger and is less prone to insects, solving the difficulties of taro cultivation. In this way, each year's income is assured.
"This year I sold several hundred thousand jin of taro. Rice is a sure profit with no loss, and once the fragrant taro in the field sells at a good price, I can make several hundred thousand this year." Reckoning up this economic account, Jiang Chunlei began to feel more confident. Thinking back to the big losses of a few years ago, he was not discouraged; wherever he fell, he got back up, and relying squarely on his own tenacity and persistence, he made the several hundred mu of taro he had contracted thrive and also led the surrounding villagers to prosperity together.
As the Spring Festival drew near, Jiang Chunlei made his farming preparations in advance. He was busy moving fertilizer from the vehicle into the house, stockpiling supplies so he could start work at any time. Because rural conditions are harsh, and for the convenience of the children's schooling, Jiang Chunlei's wife and two children all live in the city. On ordinary days, after finishing work in the evening, he himself would scrounge a meal at a fellow villager's home and then sleep alone in a small bed. Today he also brought along the newly bought cotton quilt and bedsheet, since he might start busying himself again at any time and not be able to go home.
Jiang Chunlei drove a nearly scrapped vehicle back and forth through the fields. When reporters asked him why, now that he had made money, he did not buy a new car to enjoy the New Year, he said that although he had earned some money in the past year, he did not dare spend it carelessly, because he still had to keep it for next year's sowing and fertilizing, and once spring came, hiring laborers would cost a lot of money. Although he had not bought a new car this year, Jiang Chunlei told reporters with full confidence that next year he would definitely let his wife and children live in a new house and ride in a new car, and happily celebrate the New Year.