Young entrepreneur promotes rural development in China's Shandong

"I'm going home to grow vegetables!"

In 2020, just months before graduating from university, Xu Duo, born in 1998, decided to return to his hometown in Weifang city, east China's Shandong Province, to grow bell peppers.

As a university graduate with a degree in finance, many around him were puzzled about why he would give up the chance to work in a big city to become a farmer, but Xu was determined.

"Shouguang, a county-level city administered by Weifang, has a long history of developing the vegetable industry. I've been fascinated by all kinds of vegetables since my childhood. Besides, in recent years, my hometown has introduced multiple favorable policies for college graduates who return home. Growing vegetables in Shouguang is bound to be a good choice," Xu said.

① : Xu Duo (L), a young entrepreneur, helps a farmer sell peaches at a peach orchard in Jinzhongzi town, Anqiu, a county-level city in Weifang in east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/Xu Qiu)

② : Xu Duo, a young entrepreneur, works in a vegetable greenhouse in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/Zhang Shan)

During that winter break, Xu visited several villages in Shouguang to explore vegetable farming. Xu encountered many entrepreneurs born in the 1990s in the greenhouses there. Their efforts to develop their own businesses while helping local farmers increase income through multiple channels deeply moved him.

He realized that growing vegetables could help him achieve his personal goals while also contributing to the development of his hometown.

After conducting thorough research, Xu chose to start with bell peppers in Dongzhenguan village, Luocheng subdistrict, Shouguang. He spent over two months learning cultivation techniques from Feng Huawen, an experienced farmer.

In June 2020, Xu borrowed 645,000 yuan ($90,166.94) from his father and leased 9 mu (0.6 hectares) of greenhouses in the village for the cultivation of bell peppers.

In late November of that year, he sold his bell peppers at a good price of more than 6 yuan per kilogram. In the first year, he achieved a yield of over 7,000 kilograms of bell peppers per mu, making a considerable profit.

Xu invested in smart agricultural facilities for his two new greenhouses, including a water-fertilizer irrigation system, drip irrigation equipment, and automatic spray devices. The new greenhouses increased the per-mu yield of bell peppers to 8,500 kilograms, attracting interest from villagers.

He then promoted smart agricultural facilities to villagers, guaranteeing efficient field management for them.

Having already made great progress when it came to smart agricultural facilities for both himself and the villagers, Xu turned his focus to seedlings.

In early 2024, an online vegetable seedling trading platform established by Xu's team was launched, allowing farmers to buy quality seedlings of over 20 vegetable varieties on their smart phones and consult online immediately in case of any problem.

So far, the platform has sold 300,000 yuan worth of quality seedlings, helping farmers like Liu Yongjiang from Donggaozhan village in Luocheng subdistrict.

This spring, Liu purchased over 6,000 cucumber seedlings on the platform. Upon being harvested, the cucumbers were sweet and delicious, fetching a great price at market.

Expanding his reach, Xu opened a video account to share his experiences of vegetable planting and promote his hometown. With over 1 million followers, his account has attracted multiple cooperatives and online platforms in Shouguang. At present, Xu has helped farmers in Weifang sell more than 500,000 kilograms of agricultural products online.

Recently, Xu assisted in selling peaches from Jinzhongzi town in Anqiu, a county-level city in Weifang, when they faced poor sales. Thanks to his efforts, over 50,000 kilograms of peaches were sold online in just three days.

Xu has also begun collaborating with Weifang Engineering Vocational College, teaching students majoring in e-commerce about agricultural branding and sales. Inspired by his success, Zhao Jianbo, a student from the college, plans to start a business in agriculture after graduation.

In May this year, Shouguang established an alliance of "new farmers", mostly well-educated young people with new ideas and skills, to support more young entrepreneurs returning to their hometowns. Elected as a director of the alliance, Xu aims to encourage more young people to engage in agriculture and contribute to local development.