Returning Home to Start a Business in Ecological Farming: Wu Xingchun Leads His Township to Prosperity
"Back when I returned from military service, I worked at an enterprise under the Guangyuan Prison Railway Institute. Later, when the prison and the enterprise were separated, I left the unit where I had worked for many years and drifted around working elsewhere for a long time. Since 2011, I've come back home to start a farming business. I can develop my career here in my hometown instead of wandering outside, and I can also take care of my family. Having the whole family together is always a happy thing." On the 23rd, Wu Xingchun, his face beaming with happiness, told the story of why he returned home to start his business.
Wu Xingchun was born in 1974, a native of Group 5, Meishu Village, Meishu Township, Zhaohua District. He grew up in the countryside, and the only thing that accompanied his childhood was the mud that smelled of green grass, yet what remains in his memory is a heart full of nostalgia for home.
Tired of Wandering, He Began to Think About Returning Home to Start a Business
In 1992, after graduating from Weizi Vocational High School in Yuanba District (now renamed Zhaohua District), he served three years of compulsory military service in Leshan. After being discharged in 1995, he was assigned to work at the Guangyuan Prison Railway Institute, mainly doing mechanical operation work. That continued until 2003, when Guangyuan Prison separated from its enterprise, and some of the enterprise's staff were reassigned; Wu Xingchun was one of them. From then on, to support his family, he worked in Guangyuan, Mianyang, Guangzhou and other places, still doing mechanical operation work, earning about 5,000 yuan a month. It was enough to support the family and even save a little, and life went on without much disturbance.
"Wandering outside year after year, I had very little time to be with my family, and I always felt like a drifter. On top of that, my parents were getting old and I couldn't be by their side to fulfill my filial duties, which left me feeling awful no matter what." Speaking of those years working away from home, Wu Xingchun felt somewhat sad. Once, when he returned home for a gathering with his fellow veterans, emboldened by drink, he told them he wanted to return to his hometown to develop his career and reunite with his family. Their encouragement and support strengthened his determination to go home and start a business.
Returning Home to Start a Business: A Migrant Worker Becomes His Own Boss
Because he was born in the countryside, Wu Xingchun had a special affection for every tree and blade of grass in rural areas. After returning home to investigate, he decided to develop a farming business in the countryside. Once he found his project, Wu Xingchun hesitated no more and got right to it. He immediately quit his job, which still paid a decent salary, took out his savings from many years, and prepared to go all out together with several fellow veterans. In 2012, they leased 20 mu of land in Jingu Village, Longtan Township, Lizhou District, invested more than 800,000 yuan, and built standardized pens of 3,600 sq m. That year they raised 110 sows and marketed 2,000 head of pigs. Though the number marketed seemed considerable, Wu Xingchun said that because he didn't understand pig farming very well at first, the costs were too high, and coupled with the influence of market conditions, they barely made any money in the beginning. As the scale continued to expand and market conditions gradually improved, the farm steadily got on track.
In 2013, Wu Xingchun joined with surrounding farmers to establish the Guangyuan City Lizhou District Zhaonong Planting and Breeding Professional Cooperative, creating a benefit-linking mechanism of "cooperative + farmers (members) + market." The cooperative organizes the procurement of production materials needed for planting, breeding and processing, sales, and technical exchanges and technical consulting services. Through the cooperative's operation, farmers' ability to withstand market risks has been strengthened, breeding production costs have been lowered, and farmers (members) have been driven to steadily increase their incomes, with per capita annual income rising by 1,000 yuan. Up to now, the cooperative has 120 members, has driven 314 surrounding farming households, and has an annual pig marketing volume of more than 5,000 head.
"In 2014 we also set up Jinzhao Trading Company, with 3 dedicated sales outlets in the Lizhou District farmers' market, mainly selling the cooperative's own pollution-free ecological meat pigs, extending the pig farming industry chain. Last year operating revenue was 8.5 million yuan, and 640,000 yuan was returned to members as profits." Wu Xingchun said excitedly. Speaking of the hardships of starting a business, Wu Xingchun sincerely thanked the local Party committee and government for their support. He said: "In the early days of starting the business, due to unstable market factors, the sales market and prices fluctuated greatly. During that extremely difficult stage, with pen construction, farm epidemic prevention, environmental protection and sewage discharge work, and so on, the Party committee and government provided us with a lot of help and support, and we also received 500,000 yuan in farming subsidy funds. With their support, we had even more drive and confidence to start our business."
Speaking of his future plans, Wu Xingchun was full of confidence: "We will continue to uphold the purpose of 'ecological farming, circular utilization, driving farmers, and ensuring income growth,' adopt the model of 'cooperative + farmers + market,' and continue to develop pollution-free pig farming. At the same time, we will also explore anaerobic fermentation of pig manure and then returning it to the fields and land, develop green fruit and vegetable planting, promote green circular agriculture, and gradually expand the scale. We look forward to more farmers joining the cooperative, and the cooperative will run together with farmers toward prosperity."