CCTV9英语新闻：Migrant workers return home to start business

The Pearl River Delta has long been an economic hub in southern China. Millions of migrant workers move there in search of fortune. But costs of living are high, and while some are undeterred, others have been spurred on to return home and start their own business. 

 

Pingyuan county, some 350 kilometers to the northeast of Shenzhen, is a perfect place to grow oranges. Cao Bin was brought up here. But after working for 10 years in Shenzhen, he returned to his home county in 2005 to start an orchard.

 

“Working in first-tier cities brings so much pressure and the work pace is fast. My parents and children all live in the county far away from me, and I missed them, so I decided to come back,” said Cao Bin, orange grower.

 

Raising an orange orchard is not that easy. It takes five years for trees to grow and bear first batch of fruit, and another five years for cost-recovery. Sometimes, bad weather can destroy a whole year’s effort. To prevent a possible loss, farmers have to pick oranges in time and sell them as soon as possible.

 

This is not the season for oranges. Cao said the harvest season is usually around December, when 300 tons of oranges are ready to be picked. Working out how to sell these products used to bother him a lot, but now, thanks to a fruit E-commerce platform, it is one less thing on his mind.

 

Hundreds of kilometers away from the orchard, these staff in a Guangzhou online fruit shop is busy dealing with orders. It was established less than a year ago and has helped some 20 farmers like Cao to sell their products nationwide.

 

“We attract consumers by selling high-quality fruits rather than giving them low prices. I want to help farmers, especially those in remote areas to raise their income. Their produce deserves a good price, what we do is to make more people know that,” said Ma Xiaoliu, CEO of Fruityrealm Information Tech Company.

 

Spring is coming for plants. It is also a time for budding entrepreneurs to create start-ups.  Last year, the State Council issued opinions that encourage about 300 million migrant workers to start businesses. That is a movement to accelerate development in rural areas as well as to enhance modern agriculture.