Ecological Forest Pig Farming Helps Farmers Get Rich

On November 10, Li Lifeng feeds pigs in the forest land she contracted in Jianshe Forest Farm.

In the primeval forest of Jianshe Forest Farm under the Tieli Forestry Bureau in Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province, Li Lifeng pours woven bags full of corn kernels and hickory nuts onto the forest floor. Moments later, herds of pigs come running out from the woods in all directions to enjoy the "extra meal" their owner has given them.

Li Lifeng is a laid-off worker from the forest farm. In 2009, with the support of the local forestry bureau, she began her pig-farming career. That year, she sold 600 forest pigs, with an output value of 1 million yuan and a net profit of 300,000 yuan.

Li Lifeng, 45, is shrewd and capable, and she speaks with full confidence when talking about forest pig farming and sales. To make the forest pig specialty products bigger and stronger and to raise the profile of forest pig meat, Li Lifeng introduced a series of forest pig product sales methods such as "slaughtering the New Year pig," in which customers select a forest piglet, pay only the price of the pig, and track the piglet's growth process through a QR code. Once the pig is fully grown, customers are provided with a whole-pig feast and vacuum-packed pork from that pig.

After several years of development, the number of forest pigs raised by Li Lifeng has reached more than 2,400.