HANGZHOU: Wujiang village near Hangping township in Jinhua, East China’s Zhejiang province, has been attracting many sightseers in recent weeks thanks to its seven hectares of tulips in full bloom.
The plot was cultivated by Xue Yong who returned to his hometown to start his own business. The land was idle but he leased it from local farmers and transformed it into a flower farm, helping increase local incomes and support local economic development.
Until 2019, Xue used to work in the lighting industry in Guangdong province. He saw huge market potential for floriculture in his hometown and then decided to plant flowers with other villagers.
“In the beginning, the villagers didn’t believe that consumers would be willing to spend five yuan (RM3.20) or even six yuan (RM3.90) for a flower,” said Xue, director of Zhejiang Wuhuazhe Gardening Co, which runs the tulip field.
So, Xue and Zhang Qingsong, Party secretary of Wujiang village, went door to door to convince villagers and give hands-on instructions on how to cultivate flowers.
“When flowers are sold out, villagers come to me and even ask me for a job opportunity,” said Xue.
At present, flower planting in the village has provided jobs for more than 60 villagers. With income from the land lease, they earn more than 4,500 yuan per month.
Besides tulips, the village is now home to nearly 67 hectares of peonies.
It is expected that sales revenue will reach 13 million yuan (RM8.4mil) this year. — China Daily/ANN
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