Pig farmers in Haiyan, Zhejiang, find the road to prosperity by switching to other production

Cai Guoqin, owner of Yifeng Family Farm in Haiyan, Zhejiang, is from Group 6 of Daning Village and is 35 years old this year. He was formerly a large-scale breeding household in Daning Village, with pig sheds covering more than 400 sq m, 15 sows raised, about 400 pigs sold per year, and annual net income from breeding of about 120,000 yuan.

In the "Three Reforms and One Demolition" action in 2013, after publicity and mobilization by the village committee, Cai Guoqin actively cooperated and voluntarily demolished his own pig sheds of more than 400 sq m, becoming one of the first farmers in Daning Village to demolish pig sheds. After the sheds were demolished, Cai Guoqin went through training for pig farmers exiting pig production and switching to other industries. After several rounds of thought and weighing, he chose to transfer land to grow fruits and vegetables. With the help of the village committee, that same year he transferred 26 mu of land in Group 18 of the village and embarked on the path of cultivation. By growing grapes and adopting practical cultivation techniques such as protected cultivation and scientific management, he began production the following year and achieved returns. In 2014, he transferred another 24.8 mu of land in Group 9 of the village to grow figs. In the same year, he established Haiyan County Yifeng Family Farm and passed the certification as a "fourth batch large-scale family farm" by the Haiyan County Five Major Projects Office.

After Cai Guoqin began growing fruit, he registered for the Farmer Mailbox, often checked the buy-and-sell information section, looked up cultivation information, sent buying and selling messages, and humbly sought advice from peers to learn advanced management techniques. His hard sweat finally bore abundant fruit. In 2015, the total income from 26 mu of Zuijinxiang and Red Globe grapes was more than 300,000 yuan, with net income of more than 150,000 yuan; the 24.8 mu of red-fleshed figs were expected to bring in more than 298,000 yuan, with net income no less than 150,000 yuan. Annual net income was around 300,000 yuan, double the net income from pig farming.

Cai Guoqin said: "Although I no longer raise pigs now, developing fruit cultivation through land transfer can also make me wealthy. As long as you work hard and are willing to put in effort, hard work always pays off." Through his practical actions, Cai Guoqin set a good example for pig farmers in Daning Village and even the entire Xitangqiao Subdistrict, and gave a satisfactory answer for the Xitangqiao Subdistrict's work in helping pig farmers exit pig production and switch to other industries.