Industrial Poverty Alleviation Model in Deep Poverty-stricken Villages in the Dry-hot Valley of Jinsha River: A Case Study of Poverty Alleviation in the Green Prickleyash Planting Industry in Laopingzi Village, Luquan County

Meiqi SHAO, Zisheng YANG

Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Development Institute, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China

AbstractIndustrial poverty alleviation is the core of poverty alleviation in rural areas of China, and it is the fundamental way for the rural poor to achieve stable income and poverty alleviation. Laopingzi Village, Jiaopingdu Town, Luquan County, Kunming County, Yunnan Province, located in the dry-hot valley area of Jinsha River, has become a typical deep poverty-stricken village due to its special natural conditions. In recent years, in the battle to win the fight against poverty, the people of Laopingzi Village have achieved a virtuous cycle of the ecological environment and an access to get rid of poverty and get rich through vigorously developing green prickleyash planting industry. By the end of 2018, the incidence of poverty in Laopingzi Village Committee dropped from 45.62% in 2014 to 1.11%, and the green prickleyash planting industry had achieved remarkable results in poverty alleviation. This article summarizes the specific practices of developing the green prickleyash planting industry in the village, analyzes the main results and successful experiences of the mode and discusses the inspiration of the implementation of green prickleyash cultivation on industrial poverty alleviation, so as to provide an effective practical example for the development and poverty alleviation of poverty-stricken areas.

Key wordsIndustrial poverty alleviation, Green prickleyash, Characteristic planting, Mode, Deep poverty-stricken village, Dry-hot valley area of Jinsha River

1 Introduction

Poverty is a major global social problem and a practical problem. Eliminating poverty and narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas is one of the important goals for human beings to achieve sustainable development[1]. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, China has made remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation and development. It has made immeasurable contributions to China’s poverty reduction work and even to the cause of global poverty reduction. However, as the largest developing country in the world, poverty has always been an important challenge that must be effectively addressed in the process of national economic and social development. Especially in the context of building a well-off society in an all-round way, China’s poverty alleviation and development has entered a new historical period[2]. Poverty alleviation by industrial projects is the main way to alleviate poverty and promote rural social construction and social development in poverty-stricken areas in China[3]. Based on the resource endowment of poverty-stricken areas, developing characteristic agriculture and implementing targeted poverty alleviation in agriculture can effectively improve the self-development ability of poor areas and realize the transformation from blood-transfusion-style poverty alleviation to hematopoiesis-style poverty alleviation[4]. Laopingzi Village Committee, located in the middle reaches of Jinsha River, belongs to Jiaopingdu Town, Luquan County, Kunming City. It is located at the junction of Jiaopingdu, Malutang and Wudongde townships in Luquan County, with low elevation, complex geomorphology, widespread bare rock, fragmented and sporadic land and scarce arable land, belonging to the typical dry-hot valley area of Jinsha River. The total land area of Laopingzi Village Committee is 20.10 ha, of which the area of cultivated land is 60.40 ha and the area of woodland is 233.33 ha. For a long time, the local people depend on the backward production mode of slash-and-burn cultivation and extensive cultivation to cultivate on barren land. As a result, their life is extremely poor, and this has also led to soil erosion and rocky desertification, falling into the vicious circle of "the excess reclamation, the poorer; and the poorer, the excess reclamation". The whole village committee has seven villagers’ groups, including 901 people in 236 households. Among them, there were 411 people in 111 registered poor households, and the incidence of poverty was 45.62%. It is one of the typical deep poverty-stricken villages in Yunnan Province. In recent years, to win the battle against poverty, the people in Laopingzi Village have gradually gotten rid of poverty by vigorously developing the green prickleyash planting industry. While realizing the virtuous cycle of ecological environment, they have come out a way to get rid of poverty and become rich in line with their own reality. By the end of 2018, 401 people in 109 households had out of poverty, reducing the incidence of poverty to 1.11%. The poverty alleviation of green prickleyash planting industry has achieved remarkable results.

2 Specific practices for developing green prickleyash planting industry

2.1 Scientific planning of governmentThe Party Committee and the Government of Jiaopingdu Town have worked out theIndustrialDevelopmentPlanscientifically to five full play to the resource advantages of Laopingzi Village Committee and highlight "one village, one product; one household, one industry", focus on the green prickleyash planting industry and consolidate the planting foundation. Based on the typical geographical environment characteristics of dry-hot valley area, in accordance with the geographical environment, temperature, sunshine and soil conditions for the growth of green prickleyash, Laopingzi Village Committee has conducted inspection and trial planting throughout the village since 2004 to grasp the distribution of land suitable for planting green prickleyash in the whole village and its basic area, define the development goal and set up the annual target of green prickleyash cultivation. Jiaopingdu Town encourages farmers to grow green prickleyash by issuing subsidized funds for seedling purchase. Each household was given with 200 yuan for green prickleyash seedling purchase. The market price of green prickleyash seedlings was 1 yuan/plant, so that about 200 green prickleyash seedlings were given to each household equivalently. At the same time, the party committee and the government have actively striven for the industrial capital support of Kunming City Investment Corporation, a municipal support unit, organizing scientific and technological training and inviting experts to conduct special training on green prickleyash cultivation to achieve large-scale and scientific planting. The planting area of green prickleyash in the whole village reached 230 ha in 2018. At present, a relatively stable source of income has been formed.

2.2 Oriented by market informationMarket economy is information economy. An important difference between agricultural product market and industrial product market lies in the fact that farmers, as the main body of the market, live dispersedly, operate on a small scale and have relatively low cultural quality. In addition, rural infrastructure construction is backward, which determines the disadvantages of slow information dissemination, backward means and low efficiency. Information blockade and poor circulation of agricultural products have become one of the important factors hindering the healthy development of agriculture and rural economy and affecting the increase of farmers’ income and even rural stability[5]. The application of Internet technology has injected new vitality to the circulation of agricultural products in remote ethnic areas. Utilizing advanced and convenient technology to build an agricultural information application platform to realize the online trade between agricultural products is has become an inexorable trend. Laopingzi Village is committed to opening up a platform to connect farmers with the market. According to the mode of "company (Luquan Keyu Agricultural Science and Technology Products Development Co., Ltd.)+branch (Laopingzi Village Committee)+cooperative (Laopingzi Green Prickleyash Planting Farmer Specialized Cooperative)+farmer (327 planting households)", the management mode of "Jiaopingdu Brand Green Prickleyash"+Internet management has gradually been formed to share Internet resources and build a platform for production and marketing of green prickleyash in Luquan County. On May 13, 2016, Luquan Keyu Agricultural Science and Technology Products Development Co., Ltd. applied for registration of "Jiaopingdu Brand" for green prickleyash, and gradually implemented the protection and development of ecological origin, promoting the green prickleyash industry to realize the "three transformations" from scattered planting to large-scale production, from simple planting to comprehensive processing and trade, and from traditional agriculture to modern agricultural engineering and forming a production, supply and marketing one-stop quality traceability mechanism and system.

2.3 Assisted by agricultural science and technologyAgricultural science and technology is a powerful support for industrial poverty alleviation. In the process of growing green prickleyash in Laopingzi Village, it should adhere to rational site selection and seedling nursery, strictly conform to theTechnicalSpecificationfortheCultivationandManagementofOrganicGreenPrickleyashcompiled by Luquan County, gradually standardize management, strictly control pesticides and fertilizers, organize production according to the technical regulations of organic green prickleyash cultivation and management, and organize planting, picking, inspection, packaging, branding and sales according to relevant requirements. According to the characteristics of different regions, good varieties suitable for introduction, research and development and cultivation are introduced. We will strengthen research on techniques for variety improvement, quality degradation, pest control and diversity allocation of undergrowth crops, constantly upgrade planting techniques and levels, improve the output and quality of products, promote the use of new technologies, new methods and new fertilizers with high scientific and technological content, and strive to cultivate pollution-free products. At the same time, in view of the intercropping situation of forestry and agriculture and big slope and high ridge of orchards in Luquan County, Luquan Keyu Agricultural Science and Technology Product Development Co., Ltd. develops the protective tillage knife roll with micro-tiller as the driving force. Weeds and straw are cut and returned to the field with rotary tillage, endowing the machine with functions of soil tillage, rubbling, stubble removing, weeds removing and straw returning to the field. Science and technology help the development of industry, effectively increase the output of agricultural products, increase the income of farmers, provide industrial support for poverty alleviation and prosperity, and provide guarantee for poor households to realize industrial income increase.

3 Main effects of developing green prickleyash planting industry

3.1 Income increase of farmersThrough the implementation of promoting poverty alleviation by green prickleyash industry, green prickleyash industry has become the main source of income for farmers in Laopingzi Village. At the same time, all the registered poor households in the village are encouraged to plant green prickleyash. Laopingzi Village has become a typical demonstration village for Jiaopingdu Town to extricate itself from poverty. At present, the planting area of green prickleyash in Jiaopingdu Town exceeds 266.66 ha. The 233.33 ha of green prickleyash industry planning with Laopingzi Village Committee as the core has begun to take shape. In 2018, the total income of Laopingzi Village Committee reached more than 10 million yuan. Peasant households had the highest income of 130 000 yuan and the lowest income of nearly 10 000 yuan. Laopingzi Village produces about 1 800 kg of green prickleyash per hectare. The average acquisition price in the past three years of 2015, 2016 and 2017 was 80 yuan/kg, so that the income per hectare was 144 000 yuan. The annual per capita income of farmers in Laopingzi Village has reached more than 8 000 yuan through planting green prickleyash, and the income level has exceeded the average level of the whole town.

3.2 Revenue of green prickleyash planting and industrial poverty alleviation effect in typical poverty-free households

The questionnaire results of income status of green prickleyash planting industry in 50 typical poverty-free households of Laopingzi Village Committee of Jiaopingdu Town in 2018 (Table 1) show that the net income per household of the 50 poverty-free households was 34 386.7 yuan, and the net income per capita was 9 479.1 yuan, far exceeding the poverty line standard of Yunnan Province in 2018 (3 500 yuan). The poverty alleviation effect of green prickleyash industry was analyzed in depth. In 2018, an average of 260 green prickleyash plants were planted in each of the 50 poverty-free households. In 2018, the net income of green prickleyash cultivation was 3 096 yuan per household, accounting for 87.52% of the net household income of 34 386.7 yuan per household in 2018. Therefore, the income from green prickleyash cultivation accounted for a large proportion of the household income of the poverty-stricken households, suggesting that the development of green prickleyash planting industry plays an important role in poverty alleviation in Laopingzi Village, Jiaopingdu Town. By the end of December 2018, 109 households (401 people) out of 111 households (411 people) had been lifted out of poverty. Only two (10 people) poor households remained, and the incidence of poverty dropped to 1.11%. At present, the output of green prickleyash is increasing year by year, and the income is increasing year by year, providing a strong guarantee for the stability, poverty alleviation and industrial revitalization of Laopingzi Village.

Table 1 Questionnaire on the income status of green prickleyash planting industry in the typical poverty-free households in Laopingzi Village in 2018

HouseholdcodeHouseholdpopulationNet householdincome∥yuanNet income percapita∥yuanCultivated area ofgreen prickleyashplantNet income ofgreen prickleyashplanting industry∥yuanProportion of greenprickleyash planting incomein net household income∥%01561 00012 20040040 00065.5702656 7659 46030020 00035.2303638 5036 41720010 00025.9704430 4677 61620018 00059.0805541 0008 20030039 00095.1206429 0007 25020027 50094.8207434 0008 50030032 00094.1108221 00010 50020019 00090.4709219 0009 50020017 50092.1010221 00010 50025019 00090.4711221 50010 75020019 50090.6912327 6009 20025024 40088.4013437 0009 25030033 50090.5414324 0008 00025021 50089.5815325 0008 33325021 70086.8016430 5007 62530027 60090.4917429 7007 42525027 50092.5918327 0009 00020024 50090.7419220 00010 00020018 30091.5020221 00010 50020019 40092.3821327 4009 13326025 10091.6022649 6008 26735046 80094.3523329 7009 90025027 20091.5824541 0008 20030038 40093.6525646 5007 75030043 80094.1926430 0007 50025027 30091.0027540 0008 00030028 10070.25

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HouseholdcodeHouseholdpopulationNet householdincome∥yuanNet income percapita∥yuanCultivated area ofgreen prickleyashplantNet income ofgreen prickleyashplanting industry∥yuanProportion of greenprickleyash planting incomein net household income∥%28219 8009 90020017 40087.8729442 00010 50030038 70092.1430329 0009 66720027 00093.1031543 0008 60030041 00095.3432439 6009 90025037 00093.4333328 0009 33320026 30093.9234548 9009 78030046 60095.2935218 8009 40020017 00090.4236329 0009 66720027 20093.7937439 0009 75030037 00094.8738330 00010 00025028 30094.3339221 00010 50020018 40087.6140219 0009 50020016 50086.8441546 0009 20030043 80095.2142436 0009 00025034 50095.8343347 00015 66730043 50092.5544334 00011 33325031 50092.6445333 00011 00025031 00093.9346442 00010 50030040 00095.2347439 0009 75030037 00094.8848440 00010 00030038 00095.0049451 00012 75030048 00094.1150765 0009 28640062 50096.15Mean434 3879 47926030 09687.52

4 Successful experience of poverty alleviation by green prickleyash planting industry

Industrial development is an important means of targeted poverty alleviation. It is an important way to realize the rural revitalization in China[6]. Realizing the combination of poor households and industries, establishing an effective mechanism to promote poverty alleviation through industrial development and accurately reaching the benefits of industrial development to farmers will help to drive farmers out of poverty. In practice, according to the actual situation of the region, only by actively developing characteristic industries can the economic development level of the region be effectively improved and the sustainable development of the region be achieved.

4.1 Selecting the right industry according to local conditionsWhen choosing industries, we should pay attention to the cultivation of characteristic industries. Based on the analysis of resource endowment, industrial status, market space, environmental capacity, new main driving capacity and industrial coverage in poverty-stricken areas, the development of characteristic industries should be planned according to local conditions, and the cultivation of leading industries with superior characteristics and pillar industries that can increase income should be sped up. The choice of industry determines the success or failure of industry development. Through the analysis and comparison of the local geographical environment, climatic conditions and marketing, combined with the analysis of the current situation of traditional grain crop cultivation, on the basis of repeated demonstration, the choice of developing green prickleyash industry was made. Practice has proved that green prickleyash industry can not only help the masses get rid of poverty and become rich but also effectively prevent soil erosion and improve the ecological environment. Green prickleyash (ZanthoxylumschinifoliumSieb. et Zucc) is a shrub. Its fruit can be used as seasoning; its peel can be used as seasoning, used to extract aromatic oil and used as medicine; its seeds are edible and can be processed into soap; and its roots, leaves and fruit can be used as medicines to relieve cold, detoxify and promote digestion. According to Li Shizhen’sCompendiumofMateriaMedica, green prickleyash can consolidate the teeth, black hair and improve eyesight, and if taken for a long time, it can help to improve complexion, fight aging, extend life and invigorate the mind. The ecological habits of green prickleyash are strong tillering ability, cold tolerance, drought tolerance, waterlogging sensitivity (short-term flooding will lead to death), strong diseases resistance and long cryptoblast life (resistant to strong pruning). Laopingzi Village has low altitude, long sunshine duration, abundant heat and less rainfall, which are very favorable to the growth of green prickleyash. Because of the suitable climate, the green prickleyash trees planted here are fat and big, and the fruits are fragrant and numb, with good quality, deeply loved by the vast number of consumers. Secondly, planting maize and green prickleyash has requirements for the soil, but the yield value of green prickleyash is significantly higher than that of maize. Therefore, planting green prickleyash is a very reasonable choice. In the work of industrial development, the Laopingzi Village Committee has selected green prickleyash industry to highly "one village, one product". A total of 233.33 ha of green prickleyash were planted in the village, with a fruit-filling area of 156.66 ha. Currently, a large-scale demonstration benefit has been formed, with the minimum income of 10 000 yuan per household. The goal of "green prickleyash in every household and income increase in every household" has been achieved.

4.2 Government-led, multi-inputThe government’s attention is the core guarantee for promoting the development of agriculture. The strong willingness to help, the determination to implement and the positive action of the government play a fundamental and decisive role in formulating and implementing industrial support policies, revitalizing rural assets and resources, improving infrastructure construction, innovating management mode, cultivating human capital and promoting farmers’ production and development, and they lay a solid foundation for optimizing the industrial layout of the whole society, improving the market business environment and improving the overall competitiveness of society. In the early stage of industrial development, Laopingzi Village Committee took the lead in formulating the implementation plan for industrial development, set up relevant leading groups and clarified the development goals of the industry. On one hand, developing green prickleyash industry is taken as a way to optimize the agriculture structure and it is promoted throughout the village to increase farmers’ income, promote a virtuous circle of ecological construction and integrate various departments to cooperate with each other. Comprehensive support is provided from various channels and directions. A green prickleyash acquisition enterprise, Luquan Keyu Agricultural Science and Technology Products Development Co., Ltd. has been introduced, and a well-known brand of green prickleyash industry has been created in Jiaopingdu Town, making green prickleyash industry in Jiaopingdu more and more famous, further guiding and playing the important role of green prickleyash professional cooperative in Laopingzi Village. On the other hand, we should make rational use of financial poverty alleviation funds, increase government financial investment, mobilize local people to work and strengthen the construction of infrastructure, such as the "five small" water source project, thereby effective promoting the rapid development of green prickleyash industry in Laopingzi Village.

4.3 Highlighting science and technology and standardizing plantingLaopingzi Village focuses on the application and promotion of science and technology as the key to the development of green prickleyash industry. Relying on science and technology, the quality and output of green prickleyash, as well as its market competitiveness is improved. On one hand, we should build a scientific and technological support system, set up a scientific and technological research team for green prickleyash planting in Laopingzi Village, strengthen the research and popularization of green prickleyash cultivation technology, increase the introduction and training of scientific and technological personnel, regularly conduct unified training for agricultural technicians, organize relevant technicians to visit and study in neighboring villages and vigorously promote management models, advanced technologies and excellent varieties. On the other hand, we should standardize the technology and standard of green prickleyash cultivation, strive to improve the standard and level of green prickleyash cultivation, further transform the achievements of scientific research into real productive forces, carry out demonstration and promotion of green prickleyash cultivation in village committees, unify technical training for farmer households to achieve unified management and unify prevention and control of diseases and pests so that guidance and checks can be given to all links, thereby effectively improve the yield of green prickleyash. Farmer households can not only get profits at the end of each year but also solve the problems of daily life in the form of "farming for work" and obtain wages from enterprises through planting, grafting, weeding and picking to make up for the difficulties of life in the early stage of green prickleyash planting[7].

5 Inspiration of promoting green prickleyash planting to industrial poverty alleviation

5.1 To conform to market demand and build industrial chainGreen prickleyash is widely used and has great value in food and medicine. It is famous for its green color, big granules, pure numbness and strong and lasting fragrance. Its planting has a long history, recorded as early as in theCompendiumofMateriaMedica. It can be said that the whole body of green prickleyash is treasure, so there is a huge market space for consumption of green prickleyash in China. In view of the value of green prickleyash itself, the deep processing of green prickleyash is carried out, and a certain yield has been achieved. Market plays a decisive role in the development of the characteristic industries of targeted poverty alleviation. The production and marketing of agricultural products are greatly influenced by the market. However, they lag behind, and respond slowly to the market. If they blindly follow the trend, it is easy to cause economic losses because of the lower market prices. In addition, a single variety, without the support of industrial chain, will cause many poverty alleviation project aborted[8]. Therefore, in order to develop industries in mountainous areas, it is necessary to take the market as the leading factor, integrate the effective resources, construct an integrated industrial chain of farming, feeding, processing and marketing and strengthen the integration of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries to complement each other, complement each other’s functions, link up with each other, constantly create value and deliver benefits, which not only enhance the market’s ability to resist risks but also create new jobs, increase employment opportunities and enrich the methods and channels of gaining profits. At the same time, the same product can exert a different effect to make up for the various needs of the market[9].

5.2 To give full play to the advantages of "Internet+agriculture" in helping the poor and seize all kinds of opportunitiesFirst of all, we should give full play to the advantages of "Internet+agriculture" in identifying and helping the poor families, promote the local economic development through industrial hematopoiesis, reduce the use of "duck-filling" poverty alleviation funds, improve the efficiency of poverty alleviation funds, realize a long-term mechanism for poverty alleviation, increase confidence in poverty alleviation and improve efficiency and effectiveness of poverty alleviation to form a virtuous cycle of development of the poverty alleviation model. Secondly, we should improve the skills of the main body of poverty alleviation, be good at grasping

the numerous opportunities brought by the current economic, social and ecological environment changes to the poverty alleviation model of "Internet+agriculture" and excavate potential opportunities[10]. Potential opportunities brought by the strategy of rural revitalization include more national attention to rural areas, more attractive rural areas in the future and more affluent farmers. These potential opportunities are more conducive to the "Internet+agriculture" poverty alleviation model to be widely promoted and developed in the future. The market opportunities brought by the improvement of social living standards and the changes of healthy consumption concept cannot be ignored. At present, the total amount of agricultural products is large, but their quality is low. In the process of using "Internet+agriculture" to help the poor, we should strive to seize the market opportunity of consumption changing from quantitative to qualitative. At present, local products are in short supply in the market, and there are few opportunities to buy these high-quality agricultural products. Priority should be given to the development of local specialty agriculture and the development of regional characteristic industries in the process of developing "Internet+agriculture". Developing characteristic industries is the fundamental measure to improve the self-development ability of poverty-stricken areas[11]. In addition, we should seize the opportunities of science and technology. China proposes to implement the strategy of science and technology innovation-driven development. With the rapid progress of science and technology, the strength of scientific research has been greatly enhanced. In the process of poverty alleviation by the mode of "Internet+agriculture", we should seize the opportunities of science and technology, actively cooperate with scientific research institutions to increase the application of scientific research achievements by agricultural poverty alleviation and let scientific and technological force act on the whole process of poverty alleviation so as to better achieve the goal of poverty alleviation.