Dedicated civil servant helps Guangxi villagers out of poverty via agriculture projects

Civil servant Tang Li inspects the pest situation at an orange grove in Laobu village, Zhangjia township, Pingle county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. (Xinhua/ Zhouhua)

Pingle County Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs official Tang Li began working as the head of the poverty alleviation team in Laobu village in 2015. She has been busy identifying and registering impoverished residents and implementing targeted measures to help them ever since.

Tang has spearheaded efforts to develop industries that harness the advantages that are present in the village. A fruit and vegetable cooperative that specializes in purchasing and processing sweet potatoes and mustard that are grown by local farmers was established in order to advance the local collective economy. The official secured 2 million yuan (US$282,646) of project funding for the organization.

In 2016, several enterprises built an edible mushroom cultivation base in Laobu. It currently yields more than 10 million yuan (US$1.41 million) of annual output value and employs over 100 villagers. Tang has also helped raise funding that was used to help more than 20 impoverished families build new homes.

At the end of 2015, 1,262 of Laobu’s residents, or 258 households, were impoverished. Most have been able to escape from poverty in the last few years as a result of the efforts that have been made; 63 of the village’s residents living in 27 homes remain impoverished at present. Tang noted that she was determined to help Laobu’s inhabitants get rid of poverty when she began working in the village.