Source: CCTV.com

05-01-2006 15:00

Nearly thirty years ago, Xiaogang Village, in East China's Anhui Province, was a pioneer in rural reform. And nowadays, with a growing awareness of the market, local farmers are looking for a new path to revitalize their economy.

Xiaogang Village, the birthplace of China's household contract responsibility system.

And 65-year-old Yan Junchang has seen it all.

After retiring as village chief 13 years ago, Yan continued to concern himself with the future of Xiaogang and the contract mechanism in a market-oriented economy.

Yan said: "After all, the contract system is based on families. It can not lead to large scale-production. If we want efficiency and mechanized farming, we need to pool our farmland again."

Yan's view is echoed by many fellow villagers, who have managed to make ends meet, but can't move far beyond that.

Some farmers are getting more money by transferring their land use rights to commercial farming companies. But they're still proud of Xiaogang's history as the pioneer in contracting state land for household use.

This museum was built last year to commemorate the historic rural revolution of Xiaogang Village. 28 years ago, 18 hungry farmers decided to divide the commune's land into family plots. The revolution swept across China almost overnight. And thus, the village of Xiaogang has become the cradle of China's household contract responsibility system.

The sculpture records the moment when the farmers signed the contract for individuals to farm collectively-owned land. Yan Junchang was one of them.

China's leadership later changed the bold trial into the household responsibility system, giving farmers long-term leases to state land.

As China enters a market era, the changes are reflected in Xiaogang. Farmland is now being pooled again, but for a different purpose. One move is to lease 90 hectares of farmland to a company to build a pig-breeding base.

This farmer says the company pays him not just rent, but also a salary for taking care of the pigs. He says it's much more than he could ever make growing grain.

And the village leadership is pleased with the change.

Shen Hao, Party Secretary of Xiaogang village of Anhui said: "The contract system did give farmers an incentive for production, but farming individually will not give them a prosperous life. But just like the former land contract system, our current move is to help farmers towards a wealthier life."

Yan Junchang said in the past, his dream was to have plenty to eat.

And now he dreams of a wealthy village, with Xiaogang once again taking the lead in rural reform.

 

Editor:Chen Minji