Silkie Chicken Farming Brings Zhou Changjin Unexpected Wealth

 

    In recent years, the People's Armed Forces Department of Sishui County has given full play to the fine tradition of militia "participating in and leading construction," and based on the local reality of many mountains and broad beaches, guided militia members to vigorously develop special breeding. Through methods such as model-driven development and paired assistance, it supported disadvantaged people in developing household breeding mainly in the form of jointly operated households, broadening the channels for increasing farmers' income and effectively raising farmers' incomes. At present, the county has introduced more than 20 new fine, superior, rare and special livestock and poultry varieties, including wild scorpions, ground beetles, nutrias, ring-necked pheasants, black phoenix silkie chickens, yellow mealworms, and meat pigeons. The county has established 8 militia demonstration breeding zones, trained 236 technical backbone personnel, and set up breeding technology promotion service centers at both county and township levels, providing strong technical support for farmers to develop special breeding.   

 

    Yusheng Special Breeding Co., Ltd. is the leading enterprise in special breeding in Sishui County. This enterprise, which specializes in breeding rare and exotic livestock and poultry products, was established in 1997 by Wei Liang, a laid-off worker from the county foreign trade group, who leased 60 mu of barren hills. It mainly breeds Changbai Mountain sika deer, a national second-class protected animal, and now has a production capacity of more than 400 sika deer in a single batch, and has researched and developed products such as venison products, deer blood capsules, and ginseng antler wine. The enterprise's annual profits and taxes exceed 3 million yuan. Under the support and guidance of the county People's Armed Forces Department, the Animal Husbandry Bureau and other relevant units, the company signed entrusted breeding agreements with more than 1,000 farming households. The company provides fawns and technology, the farmers carry out decentralized breeding, and after the deer are grown, the company buys them back at the agreed price. This "company + farmers" business model not only provides raw materials for the company's expanded reproduction and reduces its operating costs, but also drives a large number of farmers out of poverty and toward prosperity.   

 

    Zhang Zhaoxin, a militia member from Sishui Township, is an outstanding representative who has led his fellow villagers to prosperity through developing special breeding. Three years ago, at a breeding experience exchange meeting held in the county, he met Dr. Liu Yusheng of Shandong Agricultural University, who had come to provide guidance. With Dr. Liu's help, he set up a yellow mealworm breeding farm and, using scientific and technological achievements from Shandong Agricultural University, processed "Shengyuan" brand Chinese shrimp powder using yellow mealworms as raw material, filling a domestic gap. The "Shengyuan" brand trademark has passed registration with the national industrial and commercial authorities. In just three years, Zhang Zhaoxin's family breeding farm has developed into Sishui County Dafa Insect Development Co., Ltd. Last year, the company was designated by Shandong Agricultural University as an "off-campus teaching and research base." The company has driven more than 600 farming households to set up yellow mealworm breeding farms, with an average annual household income of more than 10,000 yuan. To achieve information sharing, technical mutual assistance, and win-win benefits among breeders, Zhang Zhaoxin initiated the establishment of the "Sishui County Yellow Mealworm Breeding Association." At the beginning of this year, the association was rated as one of the "Top Ten Rural Professional Technical Associations of Jining City."