Shanxi: The county of Zuoquan in Shanxi Province in north China has gone through two transformations in the recent century. Originally called Liaoxian, its name was changed to Zuoquan in 1942 to commemorate General Zuo Quan of the Eighth Route Army, who lost his life there that year in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).
The second transformation took place last year when the inland county, which had grappled with poverty for over two decades due to its limited natural resources, was officially declared poverty free. One reason for the poverty was the lack of arable land and growing wrong crops. Only 8 percent of the mountainous county is suitable for cultivation; the rest is largely covered by mountains and water. The farmers mostly planted corn since it was a traditional crop and they didn’t want to experiment with new ones and take risks. But corn fetched little money and was also laborious. Back then, farmers did not realize that walnut, also a local product, had better prospects.
Zuoquan has a long history of walnut planting. The earliest walnut trees in the county grew in the wild more than 500 years ago. The high altitude and considerable difference between day and night temperatures result in walnuts with plump kernels, rich in protein, fat and oil. Also, they are thin shelled and easy to crack. Based on these considerations, eventually in 2012, the county authorities decided to develop Zuoquan as a walnut plantation base, growing varieties that would be hardy and drought-resistant. Of the 129 villages in the county registered as poor, Lianbi was the poorest, with no enterprises or mines. The mountains made it difficult to grow crops, nor could cattle be raised on the slopes as they had little vegetation. The young people in the village mostly went elsewhere to seek a living, with only the elderly remaining behind. In 2012, Guo Yinglin was the secretary of the Communist Party of China village branch. He decided to start walnut cultivation on the mountains. “There are only 120 hectares of arable land, but there are 1,000 hectares of mountains,” he told the villagers. “We need to make good use of these mountains if we want to prosper.”
Providentially, a company had arrived in the village to prospect for natural gas and the money it paid as yearly rent, 340,000 yuan ($50,932), was used to buy walnut saplings and fertilizer. Then plantation on the mountains began. The drive inspired some of the elderly villagers. Guo Fulan, a farmer then in his 60s, decided to join in the work.
– The Daily Mail-Beijing Review News exchange item
