For farmers in central China's Lankao County, 2017 was not when their county was formally removed from the "impoverished" list, but also the starting point for modern agriculture.

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In recent years, local government positively promoted agricultural industrialization, enabling the county to embark on a path from traditional to modern agriculture.

Take sheep farming as an example. Officials brought together enterprises trading in sheep products in the hope that big business could offer farmers more advanced science and technology to promote the healthy development of the sheep industry.

"We were able to intensify efforts to prevent and control animal epidemic diseases and improve the quality and safety of the sheep products, Wang Yingmin, publicity manager of a sheep farming company, told CGTN Digital.

Sheep rely on feed made from local crops. Meanwhile, manure is treated so it can be used as a fertilizer.

This green processing, in turn, will improve resources, ecological and environmental conservation and enhance the county's capacity for sustainable development. 

Besides technological cooperation, companies will also bring sheep with good quality for farmers to rear.

For Wang's group, it brought Hu sheep, which originate from Mongolian sheep, with the characteristics of rapid growth and resistance to heat, humidity and cold.