Rattan chair-weaving business in N China lifts 7,000 villagers out of poverty (4)

Two villagers arrange completed rattan chairs in a warehouse. (Photo/chinanews.com)

Thanks to the rattan chair-weaving industry introduced in 2011, 7,000 villagers from a small town in north China's Hebei Province who used to be stricken by poverty or had to leave their hometown and work as migrant workers, now lead well-off lives.

Dongzhangbao town in Feixiang district, Handan, Hebei Province, is blessed with convenient transportation, a superior geographical location and a dense population. However, due to the lack of pillar industries in the old days, local farmers mainly depended on agriculture to make a living. When rattan chair weaving was introduced to Dongzhangbao town in 2011, the industry quickly became popular among residents, thanks to its low requirements for space and skills. A skilled worker can weave 6 to 7 rattan chairs a day, and earn 10 yuan ($1.5) to 20 yuan for each finished product. After being employed by factory, a worker can get paid on the spot. Furthermore, one local resident revealed that a villager who works as a rattan chair weaver can earn a monthly income of about 3,000 yuan.

Presently, a total of 34 villages in Dongzhangbao town and 1,995 households are engaged in rattan chair weaving, and more than 5,000 sets of chairs can be completed each day, with an annual output value of 240 million yuan, disclosed Bai Xiao, Party committee secretary of Dongzhangbao, adding that the town has now become an authentic "hometown for rattan chairs".

"I can sell 250,000 rattan chairs a year with sales income exceeding 25 million yuan. The products can be sold to provinces throughout the country," said Yu Caiying, a reseller of the chairs. "Our district is currently organizing a free e-commerce training course for selling goods online. I have attended the class. I plan to develop new products and improve the product quality and styles for my online store,” revealed Yu while talking about her future business plans.