Fragrant Undertaking: Grassroots CPC member fights poverty with roses

World
Europe

03:36

July 1st marked the 97th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. Thousands of party members celebrate as they continue to work hard at the grassroots level. For most party secretaries in the country's rural areas, the goal is bringing more farmers out of poverty. In one village in China's Sichuan Province, a party chief is planting the seeds of prosperity through flowers. CGTN's Yang Jinghao reports.

Chen Wanghui's life is all about roses, especially during the harvest season. She starts her day by touring farmlands to urge the farmers to pick the blossoms in a timely manner. In 2012, the Tibetan woman introduced the Damask rose to her impoverished village, as a trial to cope with the rampant wild boars that encroached on almost all crops.

CHEN WANGHUI PARTY SECRETARY OF MAOSHUI VILLAGE "I was so excited when a friend told me that the rose essence oil is even more expensive than gold. I said I would like to try as long as it's more profitable than our traditional potatoes and peas."

She's the party secretary of her village in Xiaojin County, a place where mostly Tibetan and Qiang ethnic minorities reside. She explored rose-planting regions across the country to find the most suitable plants to grow. But her burning passion for the project was nearly extinguished by locals themselves.

CHEN WANGHUI PARTY SECRETARY OF MAOSHUI VILLAGE "They didn't believe roses could be profitable. They planted the seedlings in my presence but paid no attention to them afterwards. Most of the plants died."

She persisted despite the setbacks. Later she set up a cooperative and promised to purchase the roses at above-market prices.

YANG JINGHAO XIAOJIN COUNTY, SICHUAN "Chen's efforts have paid off. So far, the planting of roses has expanded to more than 20 villages across the county. The farmers' annual income from the rose planting has also increased considerably."

YU FULIANG VILLAGER "We used to scrape a living with the traditional crops and no savings could be expected. Now rose planting has largely improved the livelihood of my family. Our income this year is almost 10 times more than before."

About 260 tons of top-quality Damask roses will be harvested this year. They will all be processed into a variety of products – tea, essence oil, jam and cakes – in the factory Chen established in 2016 with huge loans. With more villages to join next year, the output is expected to grow and more farmers will benefit.

CHEN WANGHUI PARTY SECRETARY OF MAOSHUI VILLAGE "I remember that last year, a 77-year-old woman held my hands and called me 'daughter' when she got the payment from her roses. I felt what I've suffered was worth it at that moment."

Chen said as a grassroots CPC member, it's her responsibility to explore opportunities for locals. Now as the plateau roses are gaining increasing popularity, her next goal is to expand the market for her products through different channels. She said her life with roses has just started.

YJH, CGTN, Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province.