By Pang Geping, Zhang Yunhe, People’s Daily
Liu Ruyuan is a man in his thirties from Changjiang village, Bobai county, southwest
China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Though the deputy to the 13th
National People’s Congress (NPC) is still at a young age, he has helped lift many out
of poverty in local communities.
“I have a scale in my heart that always weighs my practices.” That’s what the man
always says. He believes to fulfill his responsibilities as an NPC deputy is the only
way to reward his fellow villagers.
Liu has a well-known goat breeding base. By sharing his expertise in goat keeping, he
has brought wealth to over 630 households and 1,600 impoverished villagers in
Guangxi’s Guilin, Liuzhou, Qinzhou and Yulin.
Last June, he was reached by inhabitants in Daogen, another village in Bobai county
who wanted to breed goats with him because their pigeon business wasn’t making
money.
Although Liu is an expert in goat breeding, he did not agree to the request
immediately. Instead, he made field investigations, visiting pigeon farms and
wholesale markets, and consulting agricultural experts. After researching, he found
that goat breeding was not a cost-efficient business for the villagers from Daogen, and
suggested them to continue with their pigeon business. However, he told them to shift
from meat pigeons to female pigeons as the eggs were more profitable.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach in developing industries, and it’s always better
to find ways out than starting over,” he explained.
Earlier this year, Liu learnt that it cost around one yuan ($0.14) on average to
transport an egg to other provinces, which was high for the villagers. Therefore, he
started to search for feasible solutions.
His previous experiences paid off. Liu had studied the circulation of agricultural
products last year before he submitted a proposal on the construction of cold chain
logistics to the second session of the 13th NPC, so he told the pigeon farmers to
cooperate with major logistics companies, and the cost finally fell by 80 percent.
Now, the pigeon business in Daogen village is prospering. Seven impoverished
households in the village have built pigeon farms, earning an average of 3,000 yuan
each month. The largest farm has more than 20,000 pigeons and generates 600,000
eggs on a yearly basis.
“We can’t just simply throw them businesses for poverty alleviation, and villager shall
work with enterprises to create wealth,” said Liu, who is always seen in the fields of
Bobai county talking to villagers and making investigations.
“What NPC deputies do is always for the people,” Liu noted. Although it’s easier said
than done, Liu has kept such a promise through persistent efforts.
“A competent deputy should make every effort to help the residents live a better life,”
he said.