A view of Yan Chunguang’s residence in Zhangzhuang village, Lankao county, Henan province – a hamlet located along the Yellow River floodplain in eastern China that has been experiencing significant development and transformation. The industrious man has been pursuing poultry farming, sesame oil production, and vegetable processing in recent years. [Photo by Wang Yuxing / People’s Daily Online]
The scorching sun beat down on the bustling Yellow River floodplain in Zhangzhuang village, Lankao county, Henan province – a hamlet located in eastern China – as the wheat harvest concluded in June 2024. A rotary tiller churned the soil in the fields, mixing crushed wheat stalks into the earth, and a corn planter left neatly aligned furrows in its wake closely behind. Zhangzhuang resident and native Yan Chunguang was one of the farmers who was hard at work and eager to embark on corn season.
In 2023, he began leasing 20 ha of land for the purpose of growing wheat but obtained disappointing yields.
“This year, I was only able to harvest about 5,250 kg of wheat per ha,” Yan mentioned in June 2024, fully aware of the challenges of farming on the terrain along the Yellow River where he grew up but remaining optimistic. “Even with the autumn harvest, I won’t be making a profit this year, but if I give the land two to three years to recover and become more fertile, and with good summer and autumn harvests, I should be able to make a few thousand yuan of profit per hectare.”
“This is a great time to make an effort,” he continued, with determination in his voice. “After setting one’s mind to something, it’s time to bring about results.”
A journey of resilience
Yan’s journey to success has been anything but smooth. In his early years, he tried his hand at various jobs and even ran a small chicken farm, but his family continued to struggle financially and fell into debt, and he eventually had to discontinue the endeavor. A turning point came when Yan was able to secure a subsidized loan of 50,000 yuan (US$6,900) with the assistance of a poverty alleviation team stationed in Zhangzhuang in 2014, which enabled him to resume his poultry business. The industrious villager was able to scale up and maintain an inventory of 3,000 egg-laying hens, and the undertaking generated more than 70,000 yuan (US$9,660) of income within a year, which renewed his confidence and enabled him to continue to expand. By 2015, Yan had an inventory of 5,000 hens, and by 2016, he had 10,000.
Diversifying for additional growth
Visitors from other areas eventually began flocking to Zhangzhuang as it became more well-known, in order to study the subsidized loan program that benefited Yan’s poultry operation and other development initiatives that were underway in the village as well as for general tourism, and the farmer saw an opportunity to expand his ventures.
“We needed to ensure that guests left with a taste of our local specialties,” he stated.
In 2018, Yan invested over 500,000 yuan (US$69,000) in the establishment of a traditional sesame oil mill. Known for its great flavor and authenticity, the oil quickly became a sought-after product among Zhangzhuang’s visitors and gradually became popular online as well. The mill generates 100,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan (US$13,800 to US$27,600) of annual revenue as of June 2024, marking another milestone in Yan’s journey.
Workers process vegetables at a vegetable processing facility located southwest of Zhangzhuang. The facility was established in early 2023 with the support of higher authorities. [Photo by Wang Yuxing / People’s Daily Online]
Contributing to the community
Just southwest of Zhangzhuang, a vegetable processing facility hums with activity. Workers cut, peel, and package onions in preparation for delivery. Established in early 2023 with the support of higher authorities, the facility produces pre-processed vegetables for pre-made meal companies under contract farming arrangements.
“We had to do this,” Yan, who was one of the first people from the village to invest in the project, noted.
The factory processes over 10 metric tons of vegetables per day, employs more than 30 Zhangzhuang residents, and has established partnerships with over 20 organic vegetable cooperatives in the area as of June 2024.
Yan’s wife, Peng Sisi, also contributes to the community. A guide working for the village tourism company, she enthusiastically shares stories about the transformation that Zhangzhuang has been experiencing and the progress that its residents have been making in recent years.