Blueberries Turn into Golden Fruit of Prosperity, Boosting Income for Guizhou Fruit Farmers
In Majiang County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province, everyone who knows Yang Heting affectionately calls him Old Yang. For 10 years, Old Yang has put down roots in Majiang, cultivating blueberries. Except for his unchanged accent, he regards himself as a Majiang native and treats blueberries as his own "children." If the blueberries don't succeed, he won't return to Ningbo - Old Yang has always believed in his choice. It is precisely his persistence that has shown the local villagers new hope brought by blueberries, and they have eagerly jumped on the bandwagon to prosperity.
[Blueberries Make the Connection - A Bond with Guizhou]
Ningbo, Majiang, blueberries - what kind of fate brought these three together?
Yang Heting, a native of Zhejiang born in 1950, was one of the few college graduates of his generation. In the eyes of his wife Hu Yenong, Old Yang is thoughtful, steadfast, and hardworking. In 1992, the couple contracted the Yongjiang Town Livestock Farm in Ningbo, becoming the operators of Ningbo's first "ten-thousand-head" pig farm. In 1999, riding the wave of state-owned enterprise restructuring, he established Zhejiang Fenghua Yile Food Co., Ltd. In 2004, Yang Heting's Yile Food Co., Ltd., then a leading agricultural enterprise in Ningbo, actively responded to the central government's call to provide paired assistance to the Qiandongnan Prefecture region of Guizhou Province.
And so, Old Yang formed a bond with Guizhou.
Through the recommendation of Qiandongnan officials, Yang Heting first came to Danzhai County in Qiandongnan Prefecture to recruit workers. During a casual conversation, Old Yang told the locals that his factory had long been engaged in the sorting and processing of exported blueberries. These blueberries were imported from the United States and Canada, sorted, and then exported to Japan - good sales channels, large volumes, and a strong market.
The local officials were delighted to hear this. A type of blue berry cultivated in Majiang County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, closely resembled the blueberries Old Yang described. Recognizing a business opportunity, Old Yang decided to visit Majiang County in person for an on-site inspection. He brought blueberry branches home for Japanese experts to study. The experts confirmed that these were indeed blueberries, and that the local natural ecological environment was very suitable for growing organic blueberries.
Upon receiving this result, Yang Heting was overjoyed. Years of experience in foreign trade agricultural processing had shown Old Yang the unlimited potential of the blueberry market.
His wife Hu Yenong fully supported his venture in Guizhou. Because she knew that once Old Yang set his mind on something, he would do everything in his power to accomplish it, and growing blueberries in Guizhou could also help lift the local people out of poverty together. For Hu Yenong, her greatest concern was her husband's health, as he suffered from diabetes.
In 2005, 55-year-old Old Yang went alone to Majiang and began his blueberry business journey.
[Sowing Sweat, Reaping Rewards]
In his first year in Guizhou, Old Yang put great effort into successfully planting blueberries. Whether big matters or small, he participated personally and did them himself. Though constantly on the move and exhausted, Old Yang's heart was warm - the local government gave him tremendous help and encouragement.
The Majiang County Fruit Office was one of the organizations that dealt with Old Yang the longest. When talking about Old Yang's bitter and joyful experiences growing blueberries in Majiang, Long Xiaobo, a veteran staff member of the Fruit Office, had much to say. "The person our Fruit Office should thank the most is Old Yang - he made our work gain recognition."
Starting in 2000, the county Fruit Office succeeded in introducing and cultivating blueberries, and subsequently made continuous breakthroughs in blueberry cultivation and seedling breeding. The blueberry industry began to show tremendous development potential. Blueberry seedlings were cultivated, and blueberries bore fruit, but at that time people knew little about blueberries and were unsure whether there was a market for them, so they dared not take the risk.
Old Yang's arrival undoubtedly ignited hope at the Fruit Office. Through the efforts of all parties, Yang Heting registered and established "Majiang Qian-Yong Blueberry Co., Ltd." Qian stands for Qiandongnan; Yong stands for Ningbo. The naming of "Qian-Yong Blueberry Co., Ltd." shows Yang Heting's thoughtful intentions.
Old Yang bought seedlings from the county Fruit Office and planted 350 mu of blueberries from the start - measuring land, digging tree pits, drawing lines, fertilizing, irrigating... To make it easier to tend to the blueberries' growth, Old Yang built a shed at the blueberry base and lived and ate on the mountain with the farmers.
At that time, there was no road to the base, so Old Yang rode a motorcycle up the mountain; when it rained, he could only take muddy paths. Over 10 years, he shuttled through the mountains, wore out 3 motorcycles, and ruined one Mitsubishi sedan.
"I never thought about backing down. Since I'm here, I must do this well." Old Yang wholeheartedly wished for the blueberries to grow quickly.
But all beginnings are hard. The seedlings planted in the first year - due to inexperience and being too eager for quick results - half of the young plants died from drought in April and May of the second year after planting, losing over 60,000 yuan.
He could no longer plant seedlings blindly. Considering the special mountainous terrain of Guizhou, if there was drought and water shortage, it was unrealistic to rely on manual labor to irrigate the seedlings. Therefore, Old Yang came up with a solution: he bought nutrient cups, placed the small seedlings dug from the soil into them, concentrated the watering and management, and after they grew to a certain height, replanted them back into the soil.
In this way, by the spring of 2007, Old Yang had planted blueberry seedlings across 7 blueberry bases covering 1,000 mu in Xuanwei Town, Longshan Town and other areas of Majiang County. That spring, the seedlings grew exceptionally well...
[Driving Fellow Villagers Toward Shared Prosperity]
At Old Yang's 7 blueberry bases, an average of 30 people per base were responsible for picking fruit and pruning branches, each earning 60 yuan per day, with overtime pay calculated separately. Over the years, he never withheld wages, and he was never stingy with the help he could provide. In Old Yang, one could not see any airs of a boss at all - everyone didn't call him "President Yang"; that would actually feel awkward.
In 2009, Old Yang's blueberry trees bore fruit for the first time, producing 10 tons of fresh berries. In 2010, output reached 50 tons; in 2011, output reached 100 tons. Seeing that Old Yang's blueberries had produced hope, the farmers all decided to roll up their sleeves and work alongside Old Yang.
"Don't be afraid, everyone. If the blueberries you grow can't be sold, I'll take responsibility for buying them. The more people who grow them, the more an industry can take shape. I alone am insignificant - it takes everyone together to give Majiang blueberries a place in the market." These few straightforward words gave the farmers a reassuring pill.
As a veteran employee of Yang Heting's company, Wang Qing had been doing planting management for Old Yang's blueberry base since 2006. Now, as the company's Production Management Department Manager, he is responsible for managing all of Old Yang's blueberry bases.
When Wang Qing had just graduated, it happened to coincide with Old Yang's arrival in Majiang to grow blueberries. Since he had studied fruit tree cultivation, he was recommended to Old Yang by the county Fruit Office for his skills and ideals, and he has worked there for 8 years.
"I thank Old Yang for giving me this opportunity back then. Following him, I also learned a lot of experience in management and marketing." As Old Yang's right-hand man, relying on Old Yang's company platform and market connections, Wang Qing became a blueberry sales broker.
"If your family's blueberries aren't selling well, go find Wang Qing." Long Xiaobo of the Fruit Office told the reporter.
Driven by Old Yang, Wang Qing became one of the first pioneers to plant blueberries. From 2009 to now, he has developed over 100 mu of planting area and also registered and established a small micro enterprise. By hitching a ride on Old Yang's train, Wang Qing's business has flourished.
There are many other farmers who were similarly inspired, just like Wang Qing. In the early years, Tian Rulian from Gaijiang Group, Gonghe Village, Longshan Town, worked at Old Yang's company, while her husband Long Guoben worked elsewhere. After the employees who had been watching from the sidelines saw that Old Yang's blueberries indeed had a market, and after Old Yang promised to purchase at guaranteed prices, they all spontaneously began growing blueberries one after another.
Currently, Majiang's blueberry planting area has reached 47,000 mu, with 32 enterprises participating in blueberry production and cultivation. The county has established 1 blueberry industry technology association and 15 farmers' professional cooperatives, driving over 600 households to grow blueberries, with over 4,000 households benefiting. In 2014, the fruiting area reached 18,000 mu, with output reaching 2,400 tons, achieving a fresh fruit output value of 72 million yuan.