Walnut trees prove difficult for poverty alleviation, and increasing incomes faces challenges
Original title: A single walnut tree reflects the gains and losses of industrial poverty alleviation
On September 23, villager He Liqiong (left) of Tiesuo Township, Dayao County, Yunnan Province, weighs walnuts. He Liqiong grows walnuts herself, buys some more from local villagers, and then sells the walnuts to Chongqing, Guangxi, Sichuan and other places.
China's walnut planting area has already exceeded 80 million mu, ranking first in the world, and many impoverished areas are counting on walnut trees to prop up their "dream of escaping poverty." However, the explosive expansion of walnut planting is bringing hidden worries about market prospects.
At the Central Conference on Poverty Alleviation and Development held a few days ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping called for implementing the "five batches" project, the first of which is "develop production to lift a batch out of poverty," based on local resources, to achieve poverty alleviation in place. Previously, he listed "precise project arrangement" as one of the "six precisions" of poverty alleviation.
Walnut poverty alleviation is precisely a microcosm of China's industrial poverty alleviation. How can poverty alleviation projects be arranged more precisely so that the hard work of ordinary people can be exchanged for real money?
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Quanchao
On September 23, workers turn and roast walnuts inside a walnut product processing factory in Dayao County, Yunnan Province.
On September 23, workers sort walnuts inside a walnut product processing factory in Dayao County, Yunnan Province.
Villager Li Jiahong of Bakou Group, Biqila Village, Santai Township, Dayao County, Yunnan Province, turns and roasts walnuts (photographed on September 22). Relying mainly on the walnut industry, the per capita income of Santai Community in Santai Township rose from 2,421 yuan in 2004 to more than 7,600 yuan last year, quadrupling in 10 years.
Villagers of Santai Village, Santai Township, Dayao County, Yunnan Province, load walnuts, which will be transported to Dayao County town and then transferred to Linyi, Shandong (photographed on September 22). Relying mainly on the walnut industry, the per capita income of Santai Community in Santai Township rose from 2,421 yuan in 2004 to more than 7,600 yuan in 2014, quadrupling in 10 years.