China News Service, Guangyuan, June 13th. Title: Taiwanese agricultural entrepreneurs take root in Sichuan rural areas: small yellow flowers cultivate big industries
Author Shan Peng
"The ecology of Cangxi County is so good that I can't imagine it. There is no industry, no dust, and no heavy metal pollution. It is very suitable for agricultural development." 2021 is Wang Shangui's fifth year of investment and business in Sichuan.
In an interview, the outspoken Taiwanese agricultural entrepreneur said that it was a right decision to take root in Cangxi County, Guangyuan, Sichuan to develop yellow flower planting and processing.
Wang Shangui is a native of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He came to the mainland to start a business in 1988.
Over the past 30 years, he has witnessed great changes in the mainland. “The mainland is developing very fast and has a very good investment environment. The future of Taiwanese youths coming to the mainland to develop is very good and the future is bright.” Wang Shangui said.
Drying yellow flowers.
(Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Sichuan Province)
In 2016, Wang Shangui came to Cangxi County with his wife and established Sichuan Shanli Agriculture Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Shanli Company) to develop yellow flower cultivation. Wang Shangui was appointed as the chairman of the company, but he did not have the "style" of the chairman. "Don't think that I am the boss, I am also a farmer. The blue sky and white clouds and the fields are my office." Wang Shangui said.
Summer is the high-yield period of yellow flowers, and June is the season for flower picking.
Entering the townshui community of Lingjiang Town, Cangxi County, where the Shanli Company’s yellow flower planting base is located, 645 acres of yellow flower fields are full of golden; in the fields, villagers wearing straw hats carry plastic buckets and put thousands of full yellow flower buds into one The plant was picked off; a motor tricycle was parked on the spacious concrete road beside the field. The driver quickly poured buckets of fresh yellow flowers into a large transparent plastic bag, and then drove quickly to the drying workshop not far away. Dry the freshly picked yellow flowers into dried flowers as soon as possible to ensure the best quality.
The villagers loaded the dried yellow flowers on the truck.
(Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Sichuan Province)
In the past few years, the yellow flowers produced on this land have been on the table of consumers in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and other places.
During the visit, Wang Shangui revealed a set of data: Nowadays, each mu of yellow flowers has achieved an output value of more than 10,000 yuan (RMB, the same below); at the end of 2020, the company’s yellow flower planting area in Cangxi County has reached 21,000 mu, The output value exceeded 200 million yuan. "At present, the number of acres is still increasing. Our goal is to reach 50,000 acres in 2023, making Cangxi County one of the largest producing areas of yellow flowers on the mainland."
Recalling the beginning of his business, Wang Shangui admitted frankly that he also faced a "crisis of trust."
Because they don’t understand yellow flowers, the local villagers thought that this dark-skinned, well-bodied Taiwanese, who was full of Hokkien accents, was a “seedling-selling” liar. “We weeded the weeds and improved the soil by ourselves, then planted the seeds and waited for the flowers to bloom. As we grow older, the villagers begin to believe that we are practical people and are willing to join in." Wang Shangui said.
The villagers pick yellow flowers.
(Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Sichuan Province)
"After we came, the local government took great care of us." According to Wang Shangui, in the initial stage, the Cangxi County Government gave strong support, and successively invested tens of millions of yuan to help Shanli Company arrange land, build ponds, and Improve traffic roads, and also provide assistance in land transfer, fund subsidies, technical services, and industrial supporting facilities.
After several years of hard work, Wang Shangui's yellow flower industry has entered a period of rapid growth, and at the same time it has driven the active participation of villagers far and near.
Up to now, Shanli Company has driven 1,800 villagers in the county to get rich, with an average income increase of 3,200 yuan. Last year alone, the labor expenditure for local villagers exceeded 7 million yuan.
"The poverty alleviation in 2020 has been completed, but we must prevent the return to poverty. Industrial revitalization is a part of rural revitalization, and the people's pockets must be really raised." Wang Shangui said.
"Our employees are very hardworking. Regardless of whether it is windy or rainy, as long as there is farm work in the field, they will be there as soon as possible. They are like my family, and I can almost call each one by name." Wang Shangui said with emotion. "Farmers can earn money, it is the greatest wish of my old Wang." (End)