Diversified farming helps Shawen farmer Cai Fei start a business and get rich

In early spring, walking into the Xiangtai Breeding Cooperative in Laoshawan Town, Shawan County, the fattening sheep in the standardized warm pens bleat endlessly, scrambling for food, as if they had already smelled the "delicious meal" brought by the feeder who was "delivering food."

Cai Fei, head of the Xiangtai Breeding Cooperative in Laoshawan Town, introduced that the cooperative was established in 2013 and currently raises more than 700 sheep and more than 20 horses.

"To ensure the quality of mutton and horse meat and win a good reputation, last year we hired 2 professional feeders specifically for feeding. As for feed, last autumn we purchased more than 40 tons of sweet potatoes and more than 60 tons of sugar beets, and mixed the sweet potatoes and sugar beets into feed to 'improve the lives' of the sheep and horses," Cai Fei said.

Cai Fei's hard work brought him satisfying returns. Before the New Year, the cooperative had already sold 180 sheep, with mutton at 40 yuan per kilogram, generating revenue of 150,000 yuan.

Cai Fei also wants to use his own efforts to lead more villagers who rely on farming for a living to get rich. This year he has set a new goal for a new path to increase income.

"Not long ago, the town organized us to go out to visit and learn about specialty farming. I found that raising donkeys is a new channel for increasing income. Donkey milk has high nutritional value, relatively large market demand, and good economic benefits. I plan to introduce a batch of breeding donkeys this year for farming and open up a new source of income," Cai Fei said.

At the same time, Cai Fei also wants to unite more small household farmers who are willing to engage in farming, so that everyone can get rich together by pulling together.

"I also plan to buy a pellet feed machine, make 'feed biscuits' in autumn, and sell the 'feed biscuits' in the spring of the following year when feed is in short supply. This will both increase the cooperative's income and save costs for my own farming business," Cai Fei said.