The breeding story of white goose farmer Liu Lihua

Walking into Liu Lihua's white goose farm in Liangfeng Village, Lianfeng Township, Qinggang County is like arriving at an ecological botanical and zoological garden: a water surface of more than 5000 sq m, weeping willows, white poplars, and broad grasslands, with flocks of white geese swimming and playing here. When white geese are mentioned, Liu Lihua recalls her history of struggle. 

    Liu Lihua is 35 years old this year. After being laid off from the township supply and marketing cooperative in 1998, she and her husband farmed in Liangfeng Village. However, because the village is near saline-alkali low-lying land, income from crop farming was always low. In 2002, when the county committee for the care of the next generation learned that she was a clever, eager-to-learn, hardworking and capable young person, it coordinated with relevant departments and, relying on the abundant water and grass resources, helped Liu Lihua choosegoose farmingas a project, and also mobilized the "five elders" to help her raise 5000 yuan and buy 1000 goslings. Liu Lihua embarked on the path of white goose farming. Due to a lack of farming experience, more than 800 of the goslings died within a few days of being bought. 

    This first failure did not frighten the ambitious Liu Lihua. In 2003, several more "five elders" helped her obtain a loan of 20,000 yuan. She bought 2000 goslings, planted 10 mu of forage grass, and bought books aboutgoose farming, and often sought advice from epidemic prevention personnel. 

    Hard work pays off. With scientific management and careful rearing, she succeeded, and that year her net income was more than 30,000 yuan. In 2004, with some economic foundation, she discussed it with her husband and bought another 1000 mu of grassland, and also built goose sheds on the grassland, beginning self-breeding and self-rearing. In 2005, she honorably attended the county livestock industry promotion conference and was rated as one of the top ten science and technology demonstration households. The county government also rewarded her with a television and books and periodicals on getting rich through science and technology.    

    "Now that I am rich, I cannot forget my fellow villagers. I want to help those sisters who need help, just as the committee for the care of the next generation helped me, so that they too can embark on the road to prosperity," Liu Lihua said. Last year, she also took the lead in establishing the Liangfeng Village White Goose Farming Association. Under her leadership, the farmers of Liangfeng Village firmly settled on white goose farming as a project. She provided technical services to farmers free of charge, gave goslings on credit to farmers in difficulty, and promoted the development of large geese in Liangfeng Village, which became a goose-farming specialized village known throughout the county. Today, Liu Lihua is leading farmers in striding forward on the bright road of becoming wealthy and building a moderately prosperous life through white goose farming.