Catalog

Fruit

A New Lifeline

By Carolyn Dedolph (cdedolph@adb.org)
External Relations Officer

Until a few years ago, private blood collectors in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) would go from one rural village to another—and poor farmers would roll up their sleeves. The blood collectors, however, spread more than money around the countryside during the 1980s and 1990s. Because of their lax sanitary procedures, unsuspecting donors were sometimes infected with hepatitis, syphilis, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases. When blood selling was banned in 1997, many farmers were again left with few livelihood options.

Tu Xing was one of these blood-selling villages. Of the 1,300 people who live there, 100 or so used to sell blood to supplement their meager farm income of about 500 yuan (Y) per household in 1990. Tu Xing’s land was so severely eroded that farmers could barely cultivate sweet potato, a crop renowned for its ability to grow in poor soils.

Farmer Chen Zong Yu used to sell his blood twice a month to pay for his children’s education. The going price then was Y200 for 400 cc. Fortunately, those days are gone forever. “Trees are a better way to earn a living,” he says, referring to his small plot of longan trees, which produce a small pulpy fruit similar to litchis.

Longan Orchard Established

In 1991, 40 farm households were encouraged to develop Heliukang Orchard by planting longan and other fruit trees on about 10 hectares of hilly, denuded land. But it was a struggle. Four years later, the farmers’ incomes were still low.

“The lack of adequate medium- and long-term credit hindered farmers from being able to invest in improving the land and developing cash crops,” says Bradford Philips, Manager of ADB’s Agriculture and Rural Development Division (East). Techniques to cultivate cash crops on sloping lands were not available. In 1996, the fruit farm was provided with a US$410,505 loan through the Fujian Soil Conservation and Rural Development Project, which has the goal of promoting sustainable economic growth for the poorer members of the province’s rural community. The loan was used to support the Fujian Soil and Water Conservation Center in its work to disseminate appropriate technologies.

With the infusion of capital and new technology, things took off quickly. An experienced fruit farm manager was elected to run the orchard, fast-growing longan varieties were planted, and scientific principles implemented—such as applying green manure for fertilizer. Farmers also got individual loans.

Training the farmers on production and management technologies has been emphasized, with experts giving lectures on fruit farming and soil conservation techniques. Importantly, the farmers say the local Agriculture Bureau has fully supported the efforts.

With full production starting this year, the 2,400 trees in Heliukang Orchard will yield an estimated 34 tons of longan with a value of Y202,2500. Half the income goes to the farmers, and the rest is spent on operating the farm. With the trees now producing fruit, the farmers will start repaying their individual loans, typically at an annual rate of about Y500.

Outside the Heliukang Orchard, many of the hillsides around Tu Xing are also covered with longan orchards—evidence that other farmers see the benefit.

Budding Prosperity

Although Chen Guo Hua never resorted to selling his blood, he is pleased with his larger income from the orchard and his other enterprises: rice, watermelon, and pigs. “Before this was wasteland,” he says as he cuts grass to make organic manure. “The soil would wash down the hills and hurt the rice land.”

Thanks to the orchard, the village is beginning to flourish. New houses are being built, and farmers have been diversifying into other crops and livestock. By raising funds through farmers’ donations to match government funds, a paved road is being laid to the village from the highway. It will give residents year-round, all-weather access to the main roads—and markets for their fruit and other produce. Most importantly, farmers have found a means to earn a living without having to sell their blood.

Know more about ADB's work in PRC

• "Seaweed: A Chilling Tale"
  
• "Ma Bamboo"

Email this to a friend