YangworkswithlocalfarmersonherfarmThefirstdayYangYingarrivedinBeijingaheadoftheannualsessionoftheNationalPeople’sCongress(NPC),China’stoplegislaturethatopenedonMarch5,shecarefullyputabunchofrosesintoavaseinherroom.Itwasnomeredecorativetouch.Itwasasymboloftheenterprisethathasmadeherasuccessfulentrepreneurtoday,aswellasaleaderengagedinimprovingthelivelihoodsoffarmersintheflowerindustryinsouthChina.
“Ihaveembracedrosesasmylifelongcause,”saidYang,afirst-timedeputytotheNPC,inreferencetoherflourishingrosefarmsthathavedevelopedintoasuccessfulchainofcooperatives,derivativeproductsandatouristattraction.
ChairpersonofHainanRoseValleyIndustrialDevelopment,YangoriginallystartedherfloriculturebusinessineastChina’sShanghai.Thenin2006,governmentofficialsfromSanya,thecityinsouthChina’sHainanProvincefamousforitsbeachesandyear-roundbalmyweather,visitedtheflowermarketinShanghai,andtoldherthatSanyawasabetterplaceforgrowingroses.ThatchanceencountertookYangtoSanyawherethebeautifulenvironmentwonherover.InShanghai,theroseseasonendsinNovemberbutthewarmwinterinSanyaisperfecttogrowtheflowerallyearround.
Helpingfarmers
OnarrivinginSanya,shefoundthatmanylocalvillageswereimpoverished,andsomefamiliescouldnotevenaffordtosendtheirchildrentoschool.Whenherrosefarmtookoff,thebenefitsbegantoreachthelocalfarmersaswell.In2009,sheleasedtheuserightsofmorethan100hectaresoflandfromlocalfarmersinavillagenamedBohou,whichmeantlocalfarmersbegantohaveasteadyincomefromtherent.HercompanyalsobegantobuyflowersfromfamerswhogrewthemincooperativesandsentthemtoShanghaiforsale.Thisopenedaccesstoabiggermarketandcreatedanothersourceofincomeforthefarmers.
In2014,Yangbranchedoutintoasubsidiaryindustryofroseproducts,suchasroseoil,rosecakesandrosetea,andsubsequently,hercompanyaddedtourismtoitslistofventures,openingthefarmstovisitors.In2017,thenumberofvisitorsexceeded1.4millionanditcontinuestogrow.
Theprojectsarealsogeneratingjobslocally.Villagersaccountfor70percentofhercompany’s600staff,workingasweeders,flowerpickers,andpackagers.Thereare19cooperativesunderthecompanyumbrella,providingjobsformorethan1,000farmers.Rosesaleshavealsopromotedthelocallogisticsandexpressdeliverybusiness.
Long-termsuccessplan
AccordingtoYang,hernextplanistodevelopanindustrialtowninSanya.Hercompanyisgoingtodevelopmoreproductsandwillbringinrelevantindustries.Followingthismodel,therewillbeadditionaljobssuchasmakingrosewineandofferinghomestays.Thegoalistoraiseeveryfamily’sannualincometo150,000yuan($23,628),sothattheyareliftedtoleadaxiaokangoramoderatelyprosperouslife.
ShesayshergoalwasinspiredbyChinesePresidentXiJinping,who,in2013,visitedherYalongwanInternationalRoseValleyinSanya.ShewasdeeplyimpressedbyaremarkXimadeduringthevisitthat“onlywhenordinarylocalsbegintoleadamoderatelyprosperouslife,canwecallitarealxiaokangsociety.”
TheCentralGovernmenthasset2020asthedeadlineforcompletionofbuildingawell-offsocietyinanall-roundway.This,asXisaidinhisreportatthe19thNationalCongressoftheCommunistPartyofChinalatelastyear,willpavethewayforChina’stransformationintoa“greatmodernsocialistcountry”bymid-21stcentury.
Butithasnotallbeenabedofroses.Yangadmitssheencountereddifficultiesasthefarmersinitiallydidnotunderstandhowtheycouldbenefitfromherproject.Hercompanythushadtodoalotofexplainingandnegotiations.Later,theirrisingincomesmadevillagersunderstandherroseprogram,andthingsbegantogomoresmoothly.AsYangseesit,thedelicateroseflowercanhelpthedevelopmentofseveralsectors.“Inthepast,Ifocusedonhowtoproduceasmanygoodflowersaspossiblesothattheworkerswouldhavehigherwagesandfarmerswouldseerisingincomes,”shesaid.“AfterbecominganNPCdeputy,Ihaveaheavierresponsibilityonmyshoulders.HowtohelpmorefarmersontheentireislandofHainanbecomerichthroughmyroseindustryismyresponsibilityandnexttarget.”
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