Three poverty-stricken counties across China have chosen tailored industries such as fruit planting, photovoltaic projects and cultural tourism to fight poverty.

Tursunjan Roza (R) exchanges views with impoverished people at an orchard. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

One of 10 impoverished counties in the provincial region, Yengisar county of Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region has a history of planting apricot trees for over 400 years, with almost every family having their own apricot trees.

Unfortunately due to neglect, in 2017 severe budworm damage was detected in the county, causing harvest failure of nearly 90 percent of apricot trees.

Yengisar went all-out to enhance pest and disease prevention and control, providing technical guidance on such aspects as fertilizer and water management for farmers after the region began promoting poverty alleviation by accelerating the development of forest and fruit industries in southern Xinjiang in 2018. Thanks to these efforts, the county achieved a bumper harvest of apricots last year.

This year, Yengisar invested over 46 million yuan ($6.5 million) to assist registered impoverished households in reseeding, pest and disease control, application of organic fertilizers, grafting, trimming and other technical services for 6,200 hectares (15,000 acres) of fruit trees, said Tursunjan Roza, deputy head of the county, adding that the move is expected to increase the income of farmers by over 10 percent.

Through cooperation with Xinjiang Guoye group and e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba to help sell fresh apricots, for the first time ever the county sold 20 tons of fresh apricots in the markets outside of the autonomous region through online channels in 2018.

Ninglang Yi autonomous county in Lijiang, southwest China's Yunnan province is reducing poverty by developing the photovoltaic industry.

All 82 poor villages in the county were included in its poverty alleviation efforts through the sector, said Yang Chengxin, secretary of the county's Party committee, adding that Ninglang decided to build two photovoltaic power stations in Lanniqing and Majinzi villages due to their better transportation and light conditions, as well as flat terrain.

The two stations started construction on Nov. 5, 2019, and after entering service a month later they generated an income of 3.5 million yuan ($490,000) during four months of operation. All earnings from the project will be used to lift the 82 villages out of poverty as they collectively own the property rights of the stations.

The county offered 20 public welfare jobs such as cleaners, water conservancy management personnel and road maintenance crews for impoverished households in each village, giving a monthly subsidy of 400 yuan ($56) for each position.

Jise Fangsen (R) discusses the development of the cultural tourism industry in Sanhe village with director of Zhaojue county’s housing and urban-rural development bureau. (Photo/Xue Long)

Zhaojue county, Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture of southwest China's Sichuan province is fighting the battle against poverty through the development of cultural tourism.

The county boasts beautiful natural scenery and landscapes such as Gukede wetland national nature reserve, historical relics including Boshewahei rock carvings and cultural traditions of the Yi nationality.

Based on these conditions, Zhaojue produced a tourism development strategy, said Jise Fangsen, deputy head of the county.

Local farmers can make a lot of money by selling land alone. "A dozen locals earned respectively over 100,000 yuan ($14,000) last year," Chen Jinsong, secretary of the town's Party committee. By cooperating with Liangshan Culture and Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd, the county is pushing forward the construction of Gukede scenic area in Nidi town.

Sanhe village in Zhaojue county built a museum on poverty alleviation and an archive on its history, while restoration and protection of traditional buildings of the Yi nationality are also underway.

As the village established a rural cooperative to employee villagers, helping them increase income, Sanhe is also promoting homestay industry, according to Li Kai, the first secretary of the village in charge of poverty alleviation.