Aquaculture Demonstration Farmer He Fujin: Making a Fortune by Raising Fish in Water
Three years ago, He Fujin of Gujing Village, Liuji Town, was just a nine-to-five worker in a cloth factory. The work could not be called hard, but it did not pay much either, and he was unremarkable in the village. Three years later today, He Fujin has become a well-known large-scale fish farmer in Gujing Village, and with a 20-mu fish pond, he can earn more than 200,000 yuan a year. What made He Fujin's life take such a big "turn"? This story begins three years ago, when He Fujin noticed the abandoned pond in front of his home.
"Three years ago, I had no idea what was going on with this pond in front of my house. No one managed it, and it just sat there abandoned. At the time I worked at the cloth factory and passed by the pond every day. After a while, I started having some ideas, wondering whether I could contract it and try raising fish," He Fujin said on a crisp autumn afternoon while serving customers who had come from out of town to fish.
He Fujin acted as soon as he made up his mind. He quickly began making arrangements to contract the fish pond, discussing the contract price with the village, and estimating the total cost of building the pond. "The village offered a very cheap contract price for the pond, 2,000 yuan a year. The real bulk of the cost was dredging the pond, building roads, and constructing buildings, which totaled more than 300,000 yuan," He Fujin said. But this "huge" investment of more than 300,000 yuan did not scare off this cloth factory worker. With the full support of his family, He Fujin spent almost everything he had to build this fish pond.
"When the fish pond had just been built, I was very excited and bought over ten thousand yuan worth of fry in one go and put them in, but I forgot that I had little experience in fish farming, which made me suffer a big loss that first year," He Fujin said. One night in July that year, the weather was muggy. He went out after 3 a.m. to inspect the pond, only to suddenly find large patches of pale blue-white on the water surface. Looking closely, he saw they were all fish floating belly-up. With his lack of experience, He Fujin could only tell that it was due to lack of oxygen, but he did not know how to deal with it. He hurriedly called nearby neighbors, scooped up all the dying fish, and contacted buyers, preparing to sell them cheaply to reduce losses. The buyers did not arrive until several hours later, and by then all the fish that had been scooped out were dead. There were 12 sacks of fish, each weighing more than 50 kg. He Fujin had no choice but to dig a pit and bury them all.
The loss in the first year taught He Fujin a painful lesson. In the second year, having learned from experience, He Fujin contacted the Liuji Town Agricultural Service Center for technical support. That year he was selected and hired as a science and technology demonstration household, and the Yizheng City Fisheries Station assigned a technical expert to provide linked guidance. He actively participated in every technical training organized by the town and city, and frequently asked the technical instructor about fish farming knowledge, which became part of He Fujin's new daily routine. That year, He Fujin learned how to regulate water quality, how to aerate the fish pond, and how to prevent insects and disease for the fish, gradually transforming from an outsider in fish farming into a professional. Determined to fight to the end, He Fujin raised money to buy equipment such as automatic feeders and aerators, and also built a fishing corridor over the pond to expand the fishing business. "In the second year, after deducting various costs such as fry and machinery, I made tens of thousands of yuan. It was not much, but it gave me confidence and let me know that as long as I have enough experience and an instructor's guidance, fish farming is not such a difficult thing," He Fujin said.
Taking care of a fish pond is both skilled work and physical labor. When building the supporting facilities for the pond, He Fujin considered that fish farming required constant attention to the fish's growth, so he built a simple small panel house beside the pond. "Whether day or night, every two or three hours I have to walk around the fish pond. That way, no matter what accident happens, I can respond in time and avoid too great a loss. These three years, I have slept without distinguishing day from night. Whenever I have time, I sleep on the bed for a while, then get up when it is time and continue working." As he spoke, He Fujin showed the "equipment" for dealing with various situations: medicated powder for aerating the fish pond, nets for scooping fish, purifying agents for regulating water quality... At the same time, He Fujin also figured out a bait "formula" on his own. He carefully planted various kinds of fish grass and mixed them in a fixed ratio with bait bought from the market to feed the fish, producing healthier fish with more delicate meat.
This year is He Fujin's third year of fish farming. Speaking of the fishery science and technology household program, he praised it endlessly. He not only gained profits but also accumulated successful experience. Full of confidence, he put more than 100,000 yuan worth of fry into the fish pond. "The fish are growing very well, and the fishing business is also good. I should be able to earn more than 200,000 yuan for the whole year. In another two years, I plan to contract another nearby fish pond as well to further expand the scale. As a demonstration household, I will also lead surrounding farmers to develop fish farming." He Fujin is full of confidence in the future.