Yellow peaches propel village's development

Villagers are busy picking yellow peaches. [Photo/WeChat account of Kaiyang county]

The yellow peaches in Xinchang village, Kaiyang county, Guiyang, are ripe for the harvest. The branches are laden with golden, plump peaches.

Yellow peaches are highly seasonal, with only a brief two-week window from their market debut to the end of harvest. The village's peaches are highly popular, with more than 7,500 kilograms sold in just 10 days.

"We've never tried growing yellow peaches in our village before, and I never expected such good results in the first year," remarked Yu Minggui, a local villager.

In the past, Xinchang village struggled with a weak collective economy, so the village leadership made multiple visits to other regions to learn and seek out industries suitable for local development.

After thorough research, the village decided to plant yellow peaches to strengthen the village's collective economy, introducing two high-quality varieties, "Jinxiu" and "Jinyuan".

To explore more diverse income-generating models, the village has organically integrated yellow peach cultivation with cattle farming, developing a green, circular agricultural system. The cattle farm is situated within the yellow peach orchard, creating a sustainable cycle where the orchard feeds the cattle, and the cattle manure nourishes the peach trees.

There are currently 58 heads of cattle in Xinchang, while the yellow peach orchard covers 56 mu (3.73 hectares), with an expected yield of 15,000 kg. This year's income is expected to double that of 2022, marking a remarkable transformation for the village's collective economy.