Cows help farmers in Haiyuan County escape poverty

Tian Shuncheng, from Tianguai Village in Haiyuan, at his cowshed [Photo by Yang Xiaoxiao]

Tian Shuncheng, from Tianguai Village in Haiyuan, was registered as impoverished in 2013 and this year received the village’s “Poverty Alleviation Endeavor” award. Relying on farming, he could only earn 2,000–3,000 yuan (U.S. $300–450) per year. To escape poverty, he raised 5–6 local cattle and goats until 2016, when the CR project arrived in Tianguai. Seizing this opportunity, he raised five more cows. Now, they have given birth to 3 calves, of which 2 are twins, with another 3 calves expected at the end of this year. Currently, Tian earns an annual household income of 50,000–60,000 yuan (U.S. $7,600–9,200). Not long before, he took out a 50,000-yuan loan to expand his business scale. When asked about his future plans, Tian replied with a smile, “I want to gradually increase the number of my cattle to three-to-five hundred in 3–5 years, and then hire some people to help.”