Poverty Alleviation: Jinggangshan taken off China's 'impoverished county' list

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02:22

Jinggangshan was the first city to be taken off China's "impoverished counties" list by the end of 2016, after China initiated its poverty alleviation plan in April of the same year. CGTN's He Weiwei went there to see how strawberries are helping local farmers escape poverty.

It's a busy time for strawberry farmers in Jiangbian Village. Local villagers start picking fruit since early morning. Around three tons of strawberries are harvested every day and sold to supermarkets across southeastern China.

HE WEIWEI JINGGANGSHAN, JIANGXI PROVINCE "Two years ago, local farmers only grew grain or vegetables. Some of them had never even seen a strawberry. But now, the tiny red fruit has become a major source of their income."

Gan Zhongming founded this planting base. He used to run a successful fruit business in one of China's big cities before he decided to move back home in 2015. Today, he rents land from local villagers and hires them to grow strawberries.

LAN DONGMEI, FARMER JINGGANGSHAN, JIANGXI PROVINCE "I used to grow grain. My entire family's income was only five thousand yuan per year. Now by working here I can earn almost five times that."

By providing jobs for 140 families registered as impoverished, Gan's plantation has become a pioneer in fighting against poverty.

GAN ZHONGMING PENGHAO AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CO. "I see the most important thing in combating poverty, is not to merely give people money, but to teach them a skill that they can rely on."

Over 600 counties across China are listed as "impoverished". Jinggangshan managed to be taken off that list by reducing its poverty rate to below 2% by the end of 2016.

WU TAIMING, DIRECTOR RURAL WORK DEPT. OF JINGGANGSHAN CITY GOVERNMENT "Getting taken off of the list is just the first step. Next, we'll work on keeping the current momentum and improving locals' lives."

According to official data, around 13 million people in China's rural areas were lifted out of poverty in 2017. The central government has pledged to eliminate poverty in the entire nation by 2020.

HWW, CGTN, JINGGANGSHAN, JIANGXI PROVINCE.