A path to prosperity built on eating: turning good flavor into good income

A single trip and a single famous dish opened up a path to prosperity for a farming family. This is a true "legendary" experience of Yuan Huaihua, a villager of Gaofeng Village, Huangjialing Township, Jiangyong County. On January 7, at a farm with more than 600 Tibetan fragrant pigs already in stock, Yuan Huaihua shyly told this writer: "This is a surprise 'eaten' into existence!"

Tibetan fragrant pork is known as "ginseng meat," and it tastes rich and fragrant with no greasiness. Yuan Huaihua said: "On an outing in 2011, I tasted Tibetan fragrant pork for the first time. The flavor and price of this dish, together with the restaurant owner's introduction, sparked a strong interest in raising Tibetan fragrant pigs. With the idea of giving it a try, I bought 10 piglets and brought them back to my hometown to raise."

Tibetan fragrant pigs originated on the snowy plateau, yet they also adapt to mountainous and hilly areas. According to Yuan Huaihua, Tibetan fragrant pigs begin giving birth after being raised for more than a year, have a high reproductive rate, and farrow two litters a year, with 7 or 8 piglets per litter. Tibetan fragrant pigs are suited to free-range raising; they are let out during the day to eat wild vegetables and grass roots, get plenty of exercise, and have strong survival ability, and each day they return to the pen to be fed some corn and sweet potatoes. Tibetan fragrant pigs are relatively small in size and have a slightly longer growth cycle; after being raised for a year, adult pigs can be sold once they reach 40 kg.

At present, the market for Tibetan fragrant pork is hot, selling for about 100 yuan per kg. Most of the Tibetan fragrant pigs raised by Yuan Huaihua are sold elsewhere; more than 400 are marketed each year, bringing annual income of more than 400,000 yuan. "By the look of it, no matter how many Tibetan fragrant pigs there are, they can all be sold." Yuan Huaihua also said he will pass on techniques such as breeding and management of Tibetan fragrant pigs to the surrounding people, provide breeding pigs at low prices, drive villagers to escape poverty and become prosperous, and form a regional industry belt.