Mai Chunmei, born in 1991, runs a farm with her husband and family in Wufuxi, a village in Doushan, a town in Taishan, a city in South China's Guangdong Province. During the past decade, the "new farmer," who has adopted new techniques and modern farm tools, has worked diligently. By making herself an example, Mai has proved to many young people that one can make great achievements in China's beautiful countryside.

'Nourished by Soil of My Hometown' 

When Mai was young, she lived with her parents, younger brother, and grandmother, in another village in Taishan. She and her brother often followed their parents to the fields, where the family planted paddy rice. 

Given her motivation to see places outside her hometown, Mai enrolled in a high school in Jiangmen, a city in Guangdong. She majored in preschool education. She relocated to Zhuhai, another city in Guangdong, after her graduation from the high school. In 2013, Mai fell in love with Chen Shirong, who was then running a trade business in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong. The young couple wed that year. 

One day, in 2014, Chen suggested they return to work in their hometown. "I have been nourished by the soil of my hometown, so I feel close to the countryside. I know our hometown needs young people to come back, and utilize modern concepts and scientific technologies to improve agricultural production. Our hometown has fertile soil and abundant rainfall. So, it's perfect for growing rice. I hope to realize my dream of producing good-quality rice, and selling the rice of my hometown to places across our country," Mai says. 

She returned to Wufuxi, where she lived with her husband and his parents. A short time later, Mai expanded the farmland operated by her family. With support from her husband, she purchased modern farm tools, and the couple studied new planting skills, to improve fertilizing, pesticide and harvesting methods. 

In 2018, Mai and Chen established their farm, and they registered a brand for their locally produced rice. They have utilized modern farm tools, such as transplanters, reapers, dryers and crop-protection drones, to efficiently manage their work. In 2019, Mai received a license to operate drones, so she could save time by reducing the amount of manual work traditional farmers would have to perform.

Leading Villagers to Prosperity

"Farm work is tiring. As a result, young people are reluctant to do this. But if we show them a promising future, and a great value of working on a farm, they are likely to return to their hometowns, in the countryside," Mai says. In fact, that was what got her thinking about the possibility of leading villagers, especially young farmers, to grow crops and create wealth. In December 2020, Mai and Chen established a cooperative, and they began hiring rural women as full-time employees.

Through their cooperative, they have invested in a seedling base, which provides good-quality seedlings to farmers in Taishan, Dongguan and Zhuhai, all in Guangdong. 

Nowadays, the rice and related products from Taishan are sold throughout China. What's more, Mai has organized various educational activities on her farm, to give children a better understanding of the importance of agriculture, and of the hard work of farmers. "We will boost a coordinated development of crops' planting, processing and manufacturing, with the progress of culture and tourism. We will help more rural women find jobs in their hometowns," Mai says.

Photos from Interviewee 

(Women of China English Monthly February 2025)

Editor: Wang Shasha