Industrial projects boost province's relief efforts

Alleviating poverty by developing industries with local characteristics is a fundamental strategy in Hunan province, officials and residents said.

The province has implemented more than 6,000 industrial projects targeting poverty relief in recent years, benefiting more than 3.5 million people, province officials said.

Yang Xiuwu, a resident in Huaqiao village in Yongshun county, was so busy harvesting kiwi fruits on his farm that he asked his parents-in-law for help.

"This year's net income from the orchard will be nearly 400,000 yuan ($59,840)," Yang said.

The county has developed nine local industries, including oil-tea, kiwi fruit and tea plantations, covering an area of 80,000 hectares collectively. The annual output value has reached 2.95 billion yuan.

Yongshun is only one example of how remote mountainous regions in Hunan use local industries to lift residents out of poverty.

Luotan village in Zhangjiajie city was home to 67 low-income families with a per capita income of 2,140 yuan in 2014. The village's per capita net annual income now reaches 14,000 yuan and villagers can work near their homes.

Hunan officials have evaluated Luotan as a potential demonstration village for poverty relief. It faces the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon to the east and the Wulingyuan tourist destination to the west.

The village has depended on beautiful mountains and rivers, as well as the profound culture of the Tujia ethnic group, to develop tourism since 2015. Rural tourism has helped the villagers improve their livelihood substantially.

In Zhangjiajie, more than 300,000 people directly work in the traveling sector and tourism has lifted more than 100,000 people out of poverty.

Zhao Guilin, Zhao Fumei and Wu Lanmei are residents in Sanjiaguan village, Zhangjiajie. They overcame poverty with the help of their tea plantations. They can now each earn more than 10,000 yuan during tea harvest season.

The tea-planting area in Zhangjiajie has reached 5,333 hectares. The tea there is a special kind that local Tujia people have consumed for 600 years. Their local tea products have been sold to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Southeast Asia, with an annual output value reaching 1 billion yuan.

Local residents are also using a variety of promotional measures to sell their products and increase their incomes.

Hunan Satellite TV launched a live broadcasting program in June to help farmers in 15 counties sell agricultural products. As a result, products worth about 102 million yuan worth were sold that month.

The Hunan demonstration center for products targeting poverty alleviation in Changsha also joined the promotions. Specialty products from 51 counties and districts in Hunan were on display in the center as of Sept 6.