Having learned of the policy incentives, Lai Baolin returned home to Shanxia Village of Pingshan Town in Shicheng from Dongguan in winter of 2014 to start his own farm. Several of his early attempts failed due to a lack of farming skills and weather disasters. With help from county government officials, he took part in start-up training programs, including becoming one of the first trainees sent to Fujian to learn from successful start-up owners in May 2017. Thanks to government support, he began to develop capacity and was eventually recruited by the State Council Poverty Alleviation Office as a mentor for poor trainees looking to start new businesses. He also led efforts to set up an association for rural start-up owners in Shichengand became director of that association. His cooperative, covering free-range chicken farming, meat and egg distribution, and feed production, is responsible for lifting and keeping 356 households out of poverty and boasts an output value of 23 million yuan.

Wen Changshan, another individual from Shicheng County, lives in Yangfang Village, Mulan Town. In 2014 he sustained arm injury in a vehicle accident and his wife was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He has aging parents and two kids to support. The debt burden from his and his wife’s medical bills was so heavy that he lost hope for life. In 2014, he was put on the list of poor households designated for targeted assistance. With guidance from officials assigned to his case, he started a free-range chicken farm, which was expanded from the initial 2,000 chicken to over 10,000 in 2019. In 2019 alone, over 200,000 yuan was reported in profits. He now operates a model farming baseand has successfully fought off poverty, becoming a champion who now leads over 30 local households in free-range chicken farming, sharing farming skills and distribution outlets.

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This article is excerpted from Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.