An Wenzhong is checking the growth status of kiwi fruit.

Photo provided by the interviewee

"If you want the fruit to bear well, pruning and management are indispensable. Test everyone, how can you tell the difference between the old and weak branches of kiwi fruit and the fruiting mother branches at a glance?"

In the Xiangshui Community Training Room of Blacksmith Miao Township, Hezhang County, Bijie City, Guizhou, An Wenzhong, vice president of the Guizhou Volunteer Association, asked a question from the audience. The villagers opened up and started discussing.

When hearing some villagers answered well, An Wenzhong smiled and picked up the teacup he brought with him to drink a sip of water. "This cup is not worth much, but it has been with me for many years. It is a precious memory of my volunteer service."

"Give full play to what I have learned and help the villagers live a good life."

In 2015, An Wenzhong, who graduated from university, came to work at the Agricultural Service Center of the People's Government of Qinglin Miao and Yi Township, Zhongshan District, Liupanshui City and became a volunteer in the Western Project. When the three-year work period expired, local people gave him a teacup as a souvenir.

As a native mountain kid, An Wenzhong made up his mind early and wanted to do something to change the appearance of the countryside. He studied agriculture at university and was about to graduate. He heard about the college students' volunteer service plan, so he decisively signed up. "Take use what you have learned to help the villagers live a good life!" In July of the same year, An Wenzhong rushed to Qinglin Township.

In two months, An Wenzhong visited four villages in Qinglin Township, and based on climate, soil and other conditions, he wrote a research report on how to grow kiwi fruits and develop economic fruit forests to increase wealth and income.

In order to do a solid job in the early stage, An Wenzhong took the initiative to contact the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, etc., screen kiwi fruit varieties, learn planting technology, and use technology to blaze a way for villagers to get rich. "In addition to kiwifruit, we also develop industries such as breeding, vegetables, forest economy, etc. simultaneously, and do a good job in specialty agricultural products." An Wenzhong said.

"I have done my calculations for the fellow villagers and convinced people with reason"

"I can't eat enough to grow corn or potatoes, but I still change to plant kiwis?" At the beginning, when most of the fellow villagers couldn't get excited when they heard An Wenzhong's idea.

That's what Wang Zhengchao, a villager in Huiyi Village, Qinglin Township, thinks. An Wenzhong recalled: "The first time I went to Wang Zhengchao's house, I even asked me to drink water; the second time, I didn't let me enter the house; the third time, I hid and didn't see me." An Wenzhong was very sad, but he could understand, "I am just a newly graduated college student. They have been farming for a lifetime, why should I listen to me?"

Returning to the unit, An Wenzhong collected a lot of videos and training materials online, and then organized villagers to hold a yard meeting. "I have done the calculations for the fellow villagers and convinced people with reason. A mu of kiwi produces 650 kilograms of fruit. According to the market price, a mu of kiwi is at least 5,000 yuan per year, which is cost-effective! The yield period can be doubled!" said An Wenzhong.

"Someone relied on growing kiwis, lived in a new house and drove into a car. Little Fruit, so amazing!" After watching the video, Wang Zhengchao was a little moved. As one of the villagers' representatives, he followed An Wenzhong to visit and study at the kiwi fruit planting base of the Wuhan Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and finally made up his mind, "The old concept of half a lifetime must be changed."

An Wenzhong held on to the fields every day when he planted kiwi fruits. It was cold, and he and the villagers made fires in the field. When they were tired, they would go to the fire to rest. When they were hungry, they would burn potatoes and sleep directly at the villagers' homes at night.

After three years of management and grafting, Qinglin Township has planted more than 1,000 acres of kiwi fruit, 8,000 acres of ginseng fruits under the forest, and more than 10,000 acres of forage, and the industrial foundation is becoming increasingly stable.

Wang Zhengchao lived a good life by growing kiwi fruit: his own kiwi fruit has expanded to more than 40 acres, earning more than 300,000 yuan a year, and was also named the "Top Ten Planting Experts" in the city. His two sons who worked outside also came back to help with it, and life was enjoyable.

"Agriculture has a bright future, I want to be a good new farmer"

In 2018, An Wenzhong, who had expired his service period, returned to his hometown to continue to carry out volunteer training services and provide agricultural technical support to enterprises. He wants to make his hometown bear fruit through hard work. Up to now, An Wenzhong has promoted the planting of more than 200 mu of kiwi fruit in Hezhang County, Bijie City and 26 villages in 20 townships and 26 villages in Weining Yi, Hui and Miao Autonomous County, and generated more than 10,000 yuan of economic benefits per mu after entering the high yield period.

After the Spring Festival, An Wenzhong became busy again. While connecting with universities, studying grafting new kiwi fruit varieties, he organized villagers to carry out agricultural technical training to improve the planting level. "Agriculture has a bright future, and I want to be a good new farmer."

Through repeated agricultural technical training, the industry is becoming more and more attractive, and many young faces are also participating in it.

Because of outstanding performance in volunteer service, in October 2022, An Wenzhong served as vice president of Guizhou Volunteer Association. A few days ago, An Wenzhong led four young people to Yiliang County, Yunnan Province for inspection. "Yiliang and Hezhang are in similar natural conditions. We have inspected several characteristic industries and learned in detail about planting, management, efficiency and other factors, and planned to introduce and develop sugarcane, peppercorns and Gastrodia elata." On the way back, everyone imagined their own industrial blueprints. An Wenzhong sighed: "I will continue to carry forward the spirit of volunteerism, provide good services, and make the lives of the villagers as sweet as kiwis."