The E-commerce Rich Dream of empty Nest elderly in Sichuan

"I can earn about 60,000 yuan this year, and I'm expanding my planting every year," says Song Wanguo, a 64-year-old fruit farmer, with confidence in his words.

Jianyang Village and Feishui Village, located in Jianshan Township, Mingshan District, Ya'an City, Sichuan Province, are rich in kiwifruit. Chen Puqing, chairman of Dongjian kiwifruit growers' professional cooperative, told reporters that when the soil temperature reaches more than 25 ℃, the roots of kiwifruit will enter a dormant state, and the precipitation of soluble solids and nutrient transport will not be smooth. On the other hand, the famous mountain area of Ya'an is a hilly and rainy city, the weather with soil temperature above 25 ℃ is less, the growth cycle is 20 days longer than that of kiwifruit in other places, the sugar accumulation is higher than that in most producing areas, and the taste is sweeter.

In fact, in Jianshan Township, most of the people who have been taking care of fruit trees in the foothills of Mengding Mountain are empty nesters over 50 years old. Most of their children work away from home, leaving the elderly to guard the village alone. For these old people who stay in the countryside, the red kiwifruit ripened in August places their hopes for a better life. The only wish of these elderly people who have worked hard for most of their lives is to earn more money to subsidize their families while they are still strong, without increasing the burden on their children.

In 2014, as part of a series of post-disaster reconstruction projects, the China Poverty Alleviation Foundation explored the "Internet + poverty alleviation" model in Ya'an, using cooperatives as the carrier to cultivate the upper reaches and organize scattered farmers. Subsequently, the "good goods Commune" e-commerce brand was born. In August, the commune made a new move: carrying 58 cooperative certified fruit farmers to send some of their high-quality kiwifruit out of Sichuan to be tested by the market, as well as to expand the market influence of kiwifruit in Jianshan Township.

Song Wanguo, 64, is one of the 58 cooperative certified fruit farmers, most of whom are empty nesters. Song Wanguo and his wife Chen Jixiu have one son and two daughters, both of whom work in urban areas and their daughters sell vegetables in the countryside. On weekdays, only two old people live in their ancestral houses. This is a common wooden house in western Sichuan, low, old, dark and damp, with a history of more than 100 years. The 10 mu of kiwifruit behind the house has been the main source of income for this poor family since it was planted in 2005.

At the beginning of this year, a four-day heavy snow caused a large area of kiwifruit canker in the village. Song Wanguo's fruit trees are also not immune, and the reduction in production is a foregone conclusion. After hearing the news, Yang Zhicong, production technical director of Shanpin Commune, took technicians to help him minimize the loss.

In August, the ripening season for kiwifruit comes. Under the eaves of his ancestral house, Song Wanguo told reporters that the Benevolent Commune organized members of the cooperative to help him pick fruit and contacted businessmen to buy it. This year he can earn more than 60,000 yuan, nearly 10,000 yuan more than last year. For Song Wanguo, kiwifruit places his hopes for a better life and his yearning for his children from afar, which means the hope and reconstruction of Jianshan village.

According to a set of data provided by the secretary of the village branch of Jian Yang Village, among the 1541 people in the village, 351 young adults go out to work, and as many as 55 left-behind children. Feishui Village is a state-level poor village, and there are more than 20 low-income households.

By helping empty-nesters pick and sell kiwifruit, as well as the necessary technical guidance, the Shopin commune helps them increase their income. At the same time, it is also hoped that through such visible benefits, young people who have left their hometown to work can be attracted to return to their hometown. "Let them see that growing kiwifruit in their hometown can also make money and become rich," Wang Luyuan, the person in charge, told reporters.

When he was about to leave Jianshan Township, the reporter visited the kiwifruit packaging base. In the box, a postcard with the cover of Song Wanguo and his wife Chen Jixiu is particularly eye-catching. The two old men stood under the kiwifruit tree, laughing happily. With the help of good goods communes and co-operatives, their dream of getting rich in e-commerce is gradually becoming a reality.