Liang Yongying, owner of Jusheng Family Farm, in Junlian (a village in Shanghang, a county in Longyan, a city in southeast China's Fujian Province), is the first woman university graduate from her village. In 2006, she began working as an editor, in Fuzhou (capital of Fujian Province), soon after she completed her studies in East China University of Political Science and Law, in Shanghai. Five years later, she returned to her village to cultivate rice.

As she grew up in Shanghang, a sacred place of the Chinese revolution, Liang has made great efforts to promote the Party (Communist Party of China)'s traditions of revolution. During the past decade, she has led rural residents in getting rich through hard work. Given her outstanding achievements, she has received many titles, including being named a National Woman Achievement Maker Pacesetter, a Fujian Model Worker, and a Rural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Star in Fujian Province. She has been elected a deputy to Longyan's municipal people's congress. 

Returning Home

In 2014, Liang established Jusheng Family's Farm, in Junlian. Within a short time, she began leading villagers in growing (in Junlian) high-grade rice, Yueguangdao, which has filled multiple gaps in domestic agricultural development. Numerous customers have offered positive comments about the rice. In 2020, the "Green, Quality and Efficient Yueguangdao Cultivation Technology," developed by the work team led by Liang, earned Liang Yongying's Model Workers' Studio the Excellent Achievement Award. 

During the past several years, Liang has performed trials on growing new varieties of rice. For example, she has led rural residents in growing Duruikang Rice, which has sold well throughout the country. In 2019, the China Green Food Development Center, under China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, recognized the rice as an A-level, green-food product. Also that year, Fujian Grain Industry Association named the rice one of the "Excellent Grain or Oil Products in Fujian Province." 

Improving Village's Agricultural Production

In 2015, Liang grew double-harvest rice on more than 800 mu (53 hectares) of land (in Shanghang). As a result, she became the largest grain owner in the county. 

"Once I laid a solid foundation for improving rice production, I was bold enough to mechanize rice cultivation," recalls Liang. She believes the accumulation of knowledge helped her build her courage. "During the past few years, departments under Longyan's Municipal Government, and the Government of Shanghang County, have provided training, to help us improve our agricultural-production skills," says Liang. 

To strengthen her mechanized grain production, Liang in recent years has bought various types of agricultural machinery, including transplanters, harvesters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and automatic drying machines. She has also undertaken efforts to improve her agricultural production. For example, she has built temperature-controlled seedling sheds and drying rooms, and she has implemented a pilot project, to promote construction of high-standard farmland. 

"We have implemented full-process mechanization of grain production in hilly regions in southern China, changing our seniors' traditional way of cultivating grain. In addition to helping farmers increase their production efficiency and incomes, we have provided job opportunities to many farmers," says Liang. 

As an outstanding example of a self-made rural entrepreneur in Longyan, Liang has taken the lead in experimenting with turning livestock and poultry waste into valuable resources. For example, she has led farmers in developing ecological-circular agriculture, by implementing a pilot project to raise fish in rice paddies, so the fish manure can be used to fertilize the rice. Liang has also popularized scientific and technological rice-cultivation knowledge among farmers in Junlian, and in neighboring villages. 

Her farm collects rice grown by area farmers, and helps those farmers sell their rice.  

Helping Rural Residents Get Rich

Given Liang's efforts to help rural residents get rich, by growing and selling Duruikang Rice (across the country), Zhongdu Town, in which Junlian Village lies, has been named one of the top towns in China with strong agricultural industrial entrepreneurship. 

In 2017, Liang established a production and marketing chain, under which her farm's members grow, process and sell rice under unified management. 

Influenced by Liang, the number of rural residents, who have cultivated more than 100 mu (seven hectares) of grain, has risen sharply in Shanghang in recent years. "In addition to establishing business ties with many supermarkets (across the country), the residents have tried their best to promote sales of their products. As a result, their rice has sold well throughout the country," says Liang. 

Under her leadership, Jusheng Family Farm has received many titles, including national women's experimental base for developing agriculture, national food security education base, and experimental rural residents' family farm in Fujian Province. 

"China's favorable policies to support entrepreneurship, technological aid provided by Shanghang's agricultural experts, my seniors and fellow villagers' support for developing my business, and my persevering efforts to realize my dream of helping farmers live better lives ... These are the essential prerequisites for my career success," Liang says. 

Liang believes promoting agricultural development has bright prospects. She hopes more university graduates will join "new farmers" in building rural areas into beautiful places with "lucid waters and lush mountains." 

Photos from Interviewee

Source: chinanews.com

(Women of China English Monthly March 2024)