Zhoukou farmers get help to develop unique industries

In Shangshui county under the prefecture-level city of Zhoukou, Henan province, Zhai Guangshun was overjoyed with his grape harvest in his home village of Zhailou.

With help from the local unit of State Grid Power Corp, he grew from a poverty-stricken villager into a well-known farmer, greatly improving his lot in life by planting grapes, earning over 60,000 yuan ($8,426) each year from the undertaking.

His grapes are sold out as soon as they ripen each year, so he has registered his own trademark — Guangshun Grapes — and intends to expand his cultivation.

The aid for him came as State Grid Zhoukou Power Supply Co launched a campaign over the past few years to help spur local rural vitalization, such as offering funds to help farmers learn cultivation technologies and develop their own unique industries.

Staff members from State Grid Zhoukou decided to offer further aid to Zhailou, donating 280,000 yuan in 2022 to help villagers construct greenhouses to grow organic fruits and vegetables amid the "State Grid Rural Empowerment Project" campaign.

With a solid foundation, villagers in Zhailou have cultivated fast-selling branded agricultural products, such as Guobin Lotus Roots, Erxia Tomatoes and Mashali Sweet Potatoes, and competed to develop their own suitable industries.

Hou Chunzhi, Party secretary of Zhailou, said: "With genuine help from the local power workers, the motivation of our villagers to start a business has been stimulated."

Hou said the village could also receive a rental subsidy of 30,000 yuan from the 10 greenhouses donated by State Grid, and use the funds to renovate the village or distribute cash among villagers to help them upgrade their business endeavors.

In the city's Fugou county, power worker Yang Rui, who serves as the first resident secretary in Yuanzhuang village, is busy seeking donations of 390,000 yuan this year from State Grid Fugou Power Supply Co to build more greenhouses in the village to grow Morchella esculenta, an edible mushroom which is also a traditional Chinese medicine fungus.

As a typical agricultural village relying on single agricultural products with low added value, Yuanzhuang has a weak foundation to develop other industries. So Yang and other village cadres decided to start cultivating Morchella as a unique industry in a bid to design a layout of "one unique product for each village".

Lacking startup funds in the early stages of the venture, State Grid Zhoukou helped in applying for funds, eventually landing 150,000 yuan in 2023 from donations by staff members at State Grid Henan Electric Power Co.

The funds were used to build greenhouses, help villagers learn related technologies and select good varieties. Through hard work, the first harvest came in March this year, achieving an increase of more than 300,000 yuan per hectare.

As the farmers became more motivated after such initial successes, the village management body decided to expand the planting area this year, Yang said.

Between 2021 and 2024, employees from State Grid Zhoukou have donated more than 2 million yuan to help farmers develop characteristic agriculture, helping transform rural industries and local farmers learn more farming techniques.