Loach farmer Jiang Linhu is known as the Loach King

Jiang Linhu releasing loach into the pond.

With dark skin and a somewhat reserved manner, 24-year-old Jiang Linhu from Chenxiang Village, Benniu Town, has raised loach for just one year, yet he has already become an expert in loach farming in the industry. Now, more than 40 regular people who have heard of his reputation come to seek his advice, and his phone holds the numbers of over a hundred people from all over the country. Because he does not keep his knowledge to himself and freely shares his loach farming methods with everyone, he has won widespread praise.

    In 2008, Jiang Linhu, just starting out in loach farming, traveled to Lianyungang, Shandong and other places to learn from experience. After more than half a year of practice, he accumulated his own loach farming methods. Combined with feed he formulated himself, the loach Jiang Linhu raised had a low mortality rate, and the loach he raised could earn 20,000 to 30,000 yuan per mu of field. In early 2009, when loach was 10 yuan/jin, Jiang Linhu held back from selling his loach; when the price reached 14.4 yuan/jin, he sold in time, exporting to South Korea. A full shipping container earned him 150,000 yuan, and people called him the "Loach King."

    In 2009, affected by the international market, loach sales in the international market were hit hard, yet Jiang Linhu's annual output of 125,000 kg of loach was still in short supply. It turned out that Jiang Linhu had begun analyzing market information before the Chinese New Year and gradually shifted his loach sales to the domestic market, selling to all parts of the country through a distributor in Hangzhou.

    In order to reduce costs, Jiang Linhu has now begun experimenting on his 120 mu of water surface with separate stocking at different densities, hoping to blaze a trail in loach farming with low costs and high returns. Now, Jiang Linhu not only has to look after his own loach farming; loach farmers from Benniu Town, Changzhou, and even Taiwan, China, have sought him out to ask for guidance and to establish long-term cooperative relationships. Jiang Linhu says that if they encounter any problems in farming, he will offer his own farming experience for everyone's reference, helping loach farmers get through difficulties and prosper together.