Mountain Farmer Learns Citrus Growing from Newspapers and Mentors, Gets Online and Finds the Road to Wealth

Original title: [Face] Fruit Expert Xiao Chen: Growing "Wealth Fruits" in the Mountains

Xiao Chen picking fresh fruit. Photo by Xiao Faling, correspondent of Guangxi News Net

"Autonomous Region Rural Science and Technology Wealth-Making Expert", "Leading Goose Who Got Rich Through Science and Technology", "Science and Technology Planting Expert", "Fruit King of the Yao Township", "Outstanding Communist Party Member of Baise City"... The winner of these dazzling honors is Xiao Chen, a Communist Party member of Yubao Village, Yuhong Yao Ethnic Township, Lingyun County, western Guangxi, and a household in the Party Member Science and Technology Demonstration Center.

Xiao Chen was born in the early 1960s. In 1985, he raised 500 yuan himself and opened up wasteland on his own barren hill to plant 10 mu of citrus intercropped with watermelon. Because he did not understand planting and management techniques, he lost all his capital that year. This first failure brought him great economic and psychological pressure, but Xiao Chen did not compromise with difficulties. He realized that without technology, one cannot take a single step.

In rural areas, it is impossible to get rich without relying on science and technology. Later, Xiao Chen subscribed to more than 10 kinds of rural science and technology newspapers and periodicals for many years and devoted himself to rural planting techniques. He paid his own way to visit the Guilin Citrus Research Institute many times to study, and visited large seedling growers in Lipu, Gongcheng and other counties to learn from mentors. In 1997, he introduced Guilin Wenzhou mandarin seedlings from Guilin and planted 5 mu locally. They began bearing fruit in the third year, with an average yield of more than 2,000 kg per mu. Calculated at 3 yuan per kg, the income exceeded 30,000 yuan. In 1998, Xiao Chen introduced more than 30,000 high-quality citrus seedlings from Guilin. Thanks to his techniques and careful care, the seedlings grew well. As soon as the fruit seedlings went on the market, they were snapped up. That year alone, income from fruit seedlings reached more than 60,000 yuan.

In 2001, Xiao Chen again paid his own way to attend a citrus exchange meeting in Guilin, and went to the Chongqing Citrus Research Institute to introduce more than 10 varieties including late mandarin, Japanese beautiful hybrid citrus, American orange, Tarocco blood orange, Gonggan, Shatangju, April early peach, Niuxin plum, and American Brown plum. He raised seedlings in Zhenhong Village, Sicheng Town, Lingyun County and Lianzuan Village, Xinhua Town, Leye County, and trial-planted 30 mu himself as a grafting mother-tree source, with annual sales income reaching as high as 120,000 yuan.

To get rich, information is key. Relying only on subscribing to science and technology magazines and going elsewhere to study is far from enough. In order to learn newer and more applicable techniques, in 2002 Xiao Chen installed a computer at home and went online to learn about outside information.

By the end of 2004, Xiao Chen had built a three-story building of more than 400 sq m, purchased household appliances such as a TV and refrigerator and a motorcycle. He also bought a pickup truck to transport citrus, used the first floor of his own house to open a small shop, and set up a study, where he usually practiced calligraphy and writing to enrich his spare time. Now the whole family lives a prosperous life.

In 2005, he invested more than 300,000 yuan to create a more than 100-mu orchard mainly of Shatangju on the barren slope of Heiwan Gully locally, and also interplanted fruits such as pomelo, ponkan and loquat. He built a house and arranged labor for two poor households. The surrounding people all said: Xiao Chen, this Communist Party member, has fully played the vanguard and exemplary role of a Party member. He has not only led the local people to get rich, but also led the people in surrounding townships to get rich. He is an amazing leader in getting rich through science and technology.

In early January 2016, the author met Xiao Chen himself in his orchard. He was busy picking citrus, and fruit dealers from elsewhere were choosing citrus. Many tourists were taking photos in the orchard, and the orchard was full of a festive and busy scene. Xiao Chen said: "This year the Shatangju in the orchard has borne well, and the yield is higher than in previous years, expected to reach 150,000 jin, with an output value of more than 400,000 yuan." In the conversation, Xiao Chen also said that he planned to raise chickens and local black pigs in the orchard, and also planned to build characteristic houses to develop agritourism and leisure projects. (Text/Photo by Xiao Faling, correspondent of Guangxi News Net)