A resident picks kiwi fruits. |
A college graduate named Zhao Lai from Yibin, Sichuan province is expected to collect 2.1 million yuan ($315,661) in revenue this year through the planting and selling of kiwi fruits, West China City Daily reported.
Zhao became a village official in Daba, Wangjia Township after graduating from Sichuan Agricultural University in 2012. With his knowledge from university, he established a kiwi-planting cooperative.
According to Zhou Renshu, the leading official of Wangjia Township, many local villagers have joined the cooperative. Zhou hailed the cooperative for not only boosting the local economy, but also helping a number of impoverished villagers.
After three years, the kiwis are starting to fruit, and more than 80 villagers have joined the collective, with the cultivation area reaching 870 mu (58 hectare). Zhao is expected to make a 2.1-million-yuan profit in 2016. The productivity next year will increase to 200,000 kilograms, Zhao said.
In addition, by renting the cooperative land from villagers and engaging them in the enterprise, Zhao is able to provide them with stable wages. The annual growth of income per capita for the villagers could reach about 8,000 yuan.
Zhao believes that he can bring wealth to the villagers through his kiwi business, saying that he will work harder on distribution and branding in the future, since productivity will surge in the coming season.
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