Vegetable farmer Yan Jing'an's vegetable-growing story

    While interviewing in Xiayi County, Henan, the reporter heard a friend introduce a vegetable farmer surnamed Yan: from first trying to build a greenhouse to now leasing land back for large-scale vegetable growing, not only has his own "wallet" grown fat, he has also guided local farmers onto the road to prosperity by growing vegetables.

    This farmer is named Yan Jing'an, 52 years old this year, a plain and simple farmhand from Wulou Village, Liudian Township, Xiayi County. Wulou Village is a specialized vegetable village with a tradition of growing out-of-season cucumbers and out-of-season peppers. According to Yan Jing'an, he has been growing vegetables for six or seven years now; at first it was out of necessity, but after comparing, he found that the economic returns from growing vegetables were far higher than from farming grain. "At the time I felt growing vegetables didn't require much skill either, so I put up a greenhouse on about a mu of land, planting whatever others planted, earning two or three thousand yuan a year, which was still a bit better than going out to work," Yan Jing'an said humorously when talking about how he first started growing vegetables.

    In 2004, the Xiayi County Agricultural Broadcasting and Television School, following arrangements from higher authorities, carried out the "Green Certificate" project throughout the county. At the time, Yan Jing'an, who was eagerly longing to learn scientific planting knowledge, was overjoyed when he heard the news, actively signed up for the training, and earnestly studied to master the real skills of scientific vegetable growing. Under the careful guidance of agricultural experts from the Agricultural Broadcasting and Television School, old Yan boldly introduced new varieties and dared to apply new technologies, and his vegetable-growing income rose substantially. Old Yan did the math for the reporter: "I now grow 3 mu of vegetables; one mu of out-of-season cucumbers in one season can bring in seven or eight thousand yuan, one mu of out-of-season peppers in one season can also sell for seven or eight thousand yuan, and adding the more than ten thousand yuan a year from one mu of greenhouse vegetables, I can earn twenty or thirty thousand a year."

    Now, old Yan has already skillfully mastered the growing techniques for out-of-season cucumbers and peppers, and he has no worries about selling his products; when he runs into technical problems, he has technical guidance from agricultural experts at the Agricultural Broadcasting and Television School. Therefore, he is no longer satisfied with his current planting scale. So old Yan discussed it with his wife and leased back 8 mu of land in Liuzhaoyuan Village, Caoji Township, a few kilometers from home, for large-scale planting. "I believe that with my careful cultivation and scientific management, I will surely gain even greater returns, and our lives will be even better." Looking at the greenhouse under construction, old Yan was full of confidence and hope for the future.

    After the villagers of Liuzhaoyuan Village, Caoji Township, learned of old Yan's vegetable-growing experience, they thought that growing out-of-season vegetables was indeed a good path to prosperity, and more than 20 households joined the ranks of vegetable growing. At present, with old Yan's help and guidance, the village has developed more than 100 mu of greenhouse vegetable planting, and the greenhouse structures are now being built. In the not-too-distant future, they will again welcome a harvest.