Poverty alleviation: thoroughly casting off poverty
By Chen Yuanlin
Original, GPIG, 02-16-2017
In the small village of Tangdai, Hunan Province, a poor farmer Li Guopinghas achieved a great feat for his village in the area of poverty alleviation this year.
Li has set up a chicken farm in which other villagers can buy shares and reap winnings. Sales and marketing won’t be issues of concern, as he’s already signed an agreement with an exclusive distributor. As he stands atop his 30 mu(2 hectares) of sloping farmland watching his Hunan Yellow and Silky chicken breeds peck grain, a gratified smile sweeps across his face, “All of this would have been unthinkable without the help of the Poverty Alleviation Team.”
The team heis referring to is the Poverty Alleviation Team of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)Hunan Provincial Committee General Office stationed inTangdai Village. Since March 2015 when the teamfirst set up office in Tangdai Village, it has made many efforts to reduce poverty there, from assisting in resettlement of poor families to industry-based poverty alleviation measures, to developing infrastructure,to promoting education.
Farmers set upchicken farm with help of Tangdai Poverty Alleviation Team
Team leader of the Tangdai Poverty Alleviation Team, Tang Jun, says that in order to realize industry-based poverty alleviation and “precision poverty alleviation,” the team has encouraged returning migrant workers to start businesses. Li Guoping is one of a large flock of returning migrant entrepreneurs.The Tangdai Poverty Alleviation Team has been advising party and village committees on how to guide and mobilize villagers to use locally suitable methods to develop free-range chicken, goat and other specialty cultivation industries, as well as modern methods such as technical training through distance education platformsto bring poor farmers out of poverty.
Currently the Hope Cultivation Cooperative, with Li Guoping as its leading founder, has already completed transfer of land use rights, construction of chicken coops, and chick breeding for a chicken farm with an annual output of 60,000 chickens. Furthermore, with the assistance of theTangdai Poverty Alleviation Team, the cooperative has signed exclusive distributor agreements with LiuyangheRiverAgricultural Industry Group Co., Ltd. and ChenzhouFengmu Specialty Company. The seven members of the cultivation cooperative are for the most part documented poverty-stricken farmers. Li Guoping calculates that if breeding goes according to plan, the 500,000 yuan in building capital and breeding costs of 200,000 yuan will yield 60,000 chickens per year, a yearly sales volume of 2 million yuan, and annual profits of 400,000 to 500,000 yuan. In one swift measure, members of the cooperative will be able to cast off the fetters of poverty.
In addition, the Poverty Alleviation Team arranged thatLiuyanghe RiverAgricultural Industry Group sign an agreement with the villagers to purchase 19 tons of local agricultural products for 5% more than the local market whole-sale price. This should be another incentive for poor to be proactive in expanding the scale of cultivation and to achieve prosperity through their own hard work.
The cooperative has already put its first 4,000 chickens on the market. Li Guopingexplains that cooperative is called “Hope,”because it’s not only his hope, but also the hope of the Poverty Alleviation Team, as well as the hope of whole village that more routes will open up for villagers to earn a living and support their families, improve their housing, and further their children’s education. Now, in concert with the team,theyare fulfilling their hopes through their own efforts.
Industry-based poverty alleviation promotes self-reliance
A photovoltaic power plant is less than a ten minute drive from the Hope Cultivation Cooperative. Tang Jun explains that under the enthusiastic encouragement of the team, Tangdai Collective Photovoltaic Power Plantbecame one of the first photovoltaic poverty alleviation projects ofShaoyangCounty in Hunan Province.The 350KW poverty alleviation pilot project has been connected to the grid since June 22. By the end of November, the plant already produced 180,000 kWh of electricity, generating 190,000 yuan in revenue. It is estimated that the plant will have an annual output of 400,000 kWh after being put into regular operation. That means an additional 1000 yuan in income for every poor villager or an extra 60,000 to 70,000 yuan for the village per year.
He Nanguo, another poor farmer in Tangdai Village, has invested in the plant and become one of its shareholders. With a 500,000 yuan low interest micro credit as starting capital, he should be able to earn 2,000 to 3,000 yuan every year in dividends. Adding that to his wages from the plant, he should recover his investment after six years. “I don’t know a thing about shareholding orhow it can help me make money, but the Poverty Alleviation Team recommended this project, and I trust them,” said He. During this Chinese New Year, his familyof five was resettled to a new house furnished with cupboards, a fridge, Internet and a cable TV—all gifts from the Poverty Alleviation Team. In the eyes of He Nanguo, the Poverty Alleviation Team is more than trustworthy.
Across the road from the photovoltaic power plant is a busy construction site— a sweet potato powder factory with an expected annual output of 300 tons. The funding of one million yuan was contributed by Better Life Group and coordinated bythe General Office of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the CPPCC. Currently the preliminary phase of land consolidation, planning and design, construction of infrastructure,procurement of equipment, installation and debugging has already been completed. The factory is scheduled to go into operation by the end of this year. The project has adopted the “Company + Farmers” business model, which encourages the local impoverished to use idle farmland to plant sweet potatoes for the factory. The factory processes the sweet potatoes into sweet potato powder, which is then sold to BBG Group for exclusive distribution.After its completion, the factory is expected to generate an additional 100,000 yuan in income for the village’s collective economy and bring over20 poor families or 100 individualsout of poverty.
Poverty alleviation is not about rewarding poverty, but about changing the face of poverty, and thoroughly shaking off poverty. It’s about giving those who want to escape poverty a means and assistance to do so. The Poverty Alleviation Teamof the CPPCC Hunan Provincial Committee General Office in TangdaiVillage is following an industry-based method of poverty alleviation whereby both the dreams of villagers and their local ways of life are taken into account and a solid, unmoving workforce is left in place.
By Chen Yuanlin
Original, GPIG, 02-16-2017
In the small village of Tangdai, Hunan Province, a poor farmer Li Guopinghas achieved a great feat for his village in the area of poverty alleviation this year.
Li has set up a chicken farm in which other villagers can buy shares and reap winnings. Sales and marketing won’t be issues of concern, as he’s already signed an agreement with an exclusive distributor. As he stands atop his 30 mu(2 hectares) of sloping farmland watching his Hunan Yellow and Silky chicken breeds peck grain, a gratified smile sweeps across his face, “All of this would have been unthinkable without the help of the Poverty Alleviation Team.”
The team heis referring to is the Poverty Alleviation Team of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)Hunan Provincial Committee General Office stationed inTangdai Village. Since March 2015 when the teamfirst set up office in Tangdai Village, it has made many efforts to reduce poverty there, from assisting in resettlement of poor families to industry-based poverty alleviation measures, to developing infrastructure,to promoting education.
Farmers set upchicken farm with help of Tangdai Poverty Alleviation Team
Team leader of the Tangdai Poverty Alleviation Team, Tang Jun, says that in order to realize industry-based poverty alleviation and “precision poverty alleviation,” the team has encouraged returning migrant workers to start businesses. Li Guoping is one of a large flock of returning migrant entrepreneurs.The Tangdai Poverty Alleviation Team has been advising party and village committees on how to guide and mobilize villagers to use locally suitable methods to develop free-range chicken, goat and other specialty cultivation industries, as well as modern methods such as technical training through distance education platformsto bring poor farmers out of poverty.
Currently the Hope Cultivation Cooperative, with Li Guoping as its leading founder, has already completed transfer of land use rights, construction of chicken coops, and chick breeding for a chicken farm with an annual output of 60,000 chickens. Furthermore, with the assistance of theTangdai Poverty Alleviation Team, the cooperative has signed exclusive distributor agreements with LiuyangheRiverAgricultural Industry Group Co., Ltd. and ChenzhouFengmu Specialty Company. The seven members of the cultivation cooperative are for the most part documented poverty-stricken farmers. Li Guoping calculates that if breeding goes according to plan, the 500,000 yuan in building capital and breeding costs of 200,000 yuan will yield 60,000 chickens per year, a yearly sales volume of 2 million yuan, and annual profits of 400,000 to 500,000 yuan. In one swift measure, members of the cooperative will be able to cast off the fetters of poverty.
In addition, the Poverty Alleviation Team arranged thatLiuyanghe RiverAgricultural Industry Group sign an agreement with the villagers to purchase 19 tons of local agricultural products for 5% more than the local market whole-sale price. This should be another incentive for poor to be proactive in expanding the scale of cultivation and to achieve prosperity through their own hard work.
The cooperative has already put its first 4,000 chickens on the market. Li Guopingexplains that cooperative is called “Hope,”because it’s not only his hope, but also the hope of the Poverty Alleviation Team, as well as the hope of whole village that more routes will open up for villagers to earn a living and support their families, improve their housing, and further their children’s education. Now, in concert with the team,theyare fulfilling their hopes through their own efforts.
Industry-based poverty alleviation promotes self-reliance
A photovoltaic power plant is less than a ten minute drive from the Hope Cultivation Cooperative. Tang Jun explains that under the enthusiastic encouragement of the team, Tangdai Collective Photovoltaic Power Plantbecame one of the first photovoltaic poverty alleviation projects ofShaoyangCounty in Hunan Province.The 350KW poverty alleviation pilot project has been connected to the grid since June 22. By the end of November, the plant already produced 180,000 kWh of electricity, generating 190,000 yuan in revenue. It is estimated that the plant will have an annual output of 400,000 kWh after being put into regular operation. That means an additional 1000 yuan in income for every poor villager or an extra 60,000 to 70,000 yuan for the village per year.
He Nanguo, another poor farmer in Tangdai Village, has invested in the plant and become one of its shareholders. With a 500,000 yuan low interest micro credit as starting capital, he should be able to earn 2,000 to 3,000 yuan every year in dividends. Adding that to his wages from the plant, he should recover his investment after six years. “I don’t know a thing about shareholding orhow it can help me make money, but the Poverty Alleviation Team recommended this project, and I trust them,” said He. During this Chinese New Year, his familyof five was resettled to a new house furnished with cupboards, a fridge, Internet and a cable TV—all gifts from the Poverty Alleviation Team. In the eyes of He Nanguo, the Poverty Alleviation Team is more than trustworthy.
Across the road from the photovoltaic power plant is a busy construction site— a sweet potato powder factory with an expected annual output of 300 tons. The funding of one million yuan was contributed by Better Life Group and coordinated bythe General Office of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the CPPCC. Currently the preliminary phase of land consolidation, planning and design, construction of infrastructure,procurement of equipment, installation and debugging has already been completed. The factory is scheduled to go into operation by the end of this year. The project has adopted the “Company + Farmers” business model, which encourages the local impoverished to use idle farmland to plant sweet potatoes for the factory. The factory processes the sweet potatoes into sweet potato powder, which is then sold to BBG Group for exclusive distribution.After its completion, the factory is expected to generate an additional 100,000 yuan in income for the village’s collective economy and bring over20 poor families or 100 individualsout of poverty.
Poverty alleviation is not about rewarding poverty, but about changing the face of poverty, and thoroughly shaking off poverty. It’s about giving those who want to escape poverty a means and assistance to do so. The Poverty Alleviation Teamof the CPPCC Hunan Provincial Committee General Office in TangdaiVillage is following an industry-based method of poverty alleviation whereby both the dreams of villagers and their local ways of life are taken into account and a solid, unmoving workforce is left in place.
