“I never expected that by growing apples, I could win a gold medal. Now that everyone recognizes our apples, we need to continue cultivating them with even greater care.” Zhang Hengliang, the manager of Henghe Family Farm in Sishilibao Village, couldn’t contain his excitement after receiving the “Gold Medal in the 6th Yishui County Apple Competition” at the 6th Yishui Apple Cultural Tourism Festival. His apple varieties, including the beautiful Begonia apple, emerged as the final winner after comprehensive evaluations by expert judging panels based on weight, coloration, shape, brightness, firmness, and sugar content.
In the past, Zhang Hengliang achieved some success in his entrepreneurial endeavors elsewhere but always had the desire to return to his hometown, support local development, and showcase his skills. Thus, he established Henghe Family Farm upon returning to his hometown. With the support and assistance of the town government, he acquired land for cultivation and adopted a modern, intensive apple cultivation model using machinery and integrated irrigation and fertilization techniques. He focused on growing organic, environmentally friendly, and pollution-free fruits. After years of exploration and growth, this year’s apple harvest has been exceptionally bountiful. As a leading enterprise, Henghe Farm has also promoted income generation in surrounding orchards, provided employment opportunities for local residents, and increased their incomes. Zhang Hengliang has truly realized his aspirations of making a significant impact upon returning to his hometown.
In recent years, Sishilibao Village has followed the development path of modern agriculture, emphasizing the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries while optimizing the overall industrial layout. They have emphasized agricultural popularization and constantly improved their science popularization network. They have increased investment in science popularization, guided the sinking of scientific resources, talents, and services, and facilitated scientific planting among all the farmers in the village.
“In the past, we relied on our accumulated experience for growing fruit trees. Now, with the guidance of experts from the agricultural technology station and fruit tea station in the town, and by participating in centralized operations through village cooperatives, we have access to professional equipment like drip irrigation. This not only saves us effort but also increases our yield,” happily shared Jia Laishou, a fruit farmer from Jiajiazhuang in Sishilibao Village.
By cultivating leading enterprises and extending the agricultural industry chain, the entire village has effectively increased the added value and market competitiveness of its agricultural products, injecting strong momentum into the high-quality development of the agricultural industry and increasing farmers’ incomes.