Winter peaches fatten villagers’ wallets

The third Winter Peach Festival was held in Hanggu Village, Taiping Town, Jishou City on October 11, and the orchard was open to tourists for picking. According to statistics, the sales revenue on the opening day alone exceeded 90,000 yuan.

The town regards the winter peach industry as an important driving force for rural revitalization. After five years of development, the winter peach planting area has expanded from 160 mu (10.67 hectares) to over 700 mu (46.67 hectares), and the mature fruit bearing area has reached 200 mu (13.33 hectares). The once hollow village without industrial entities has been revitalized. The local government of the village actively explores a development mode of village collective economy plus cooperative plus farmer. The village collective applies for supporting project funds to provide financial support for the development of the winter peach industry. The cooperative is responsible for planting, management and sales of winter peaches to ensure the quality and efficiency of winter peach cultivation. Farmers can share dividends of industrial development through land transfer and employment.

This mode has not only promoted the development of the winter peach industry, but also driven over 500 people from more than 180 households in surrounding villages to obtain stable employment. In Hanggu Village, Party members lead villagers to develop characteristic industries such as winter peaches, becoming the “leading geese” of rural revitalization.

Shi Linxiu, who once served as the Party secretary of Hanggu Village, established the first professional farmers’ cooperative in the village.

Zhang Yanhua, the actual controlling shareholder of Lin Huayan Farmers’ Professional Cooperative, and a NPC member of Jishou City, actively drove other entrepreneurs to return to hometown to establish a cooperative, and built industrial roads, breeding bases, deep water wells and other infrastructure, laying a solid foundation for the development of the winter peach industry.

Under the leadership of Party members, Hanggu Village has vigorously developed the winter peach industry and paid over 1 million yuan in wages to workers. More and more villagers have joined in the cooperatives and become rich. This year, the yield of winter peaches reached 100,000 kilograms, with an expected output value of 2 million yuan, generating more than 30,000 yuan in income for the village collective economy.

Taiping Town fully utilizes the advantageous resources of the winter peach industry and has held rural cultural and tourism activities such as the Winter Peach Festival for three consecutive years.

This has increased the brand awareness of Hanggu winter peaches, driven the development of rural tourism, and promoted the integrated development of rural revitalization and ethnic unity and progress.

Hanggu Village will actively explore the integrated development of winter peaches and other industries such as rural tourism, promote the development of the winter peach industry to a higher level, and make the lives of the people happier.


Chinese source: hunantoday