Four years ago, he gave up the privileged lifestyle of a coal mine owner and headed to the Zhongtiao Mountains in Xia County to start free-ranging organic wild boars. He poured his entire fortune into the venture. Moving forward through trial and error, and summing up experience as he went, his life was rewritten. He is Yang Tianzhen. Some people said his head had been kicked by a donkey. His wife tearfully urged him to pull back from the brink, and friends earnestly advised him to return to the coal business. He stubbornly pushed through a hard road of pig farming. His perseverance brought a turning point. In March 2010, his pork was certified as an organic product. In major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, his pork was snapped up as soon as it arrived, with prices rising from 80 to 120 yuan per kilogram.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
CCTV-2“s ”Get Rich Programme“ came to interview him, and pig farmers from all over the country came to learn his secrets. Those who used to scoff at him began to reassess his ”deep-mountain pig-farming know-how".文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Making a fortune in the coal and coke industry文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
A baby face and a flat-topped haircut. Sincere, stubborn and outspoken, Yang Tianzhen's personality traits are clearly displayed on his face. Hurried in his speech and hurried in his stride, he always seems to have an endless stream of things to do.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
He is from Zhangcun Town, Pinglu County, and is 47 years old this year.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Twenty years ago, he was an employee at the Pinglu County Air Compressor Parts Factory. When the enterprise hit hard times, he resolutely resigned and went to work for a coal trading company in Sanmenxia, Henan, just across the river.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
He was hardworking and shrewd, won the trust of the company boss, and was in charge of all matters concerning railway freight. In the early 1990s, his salary was over 800 yuan, which was considered high pay. However, dealing with coal all day long, there was an endless amount of coal dust to spit out from his throat and black speckles to rub out of his eyes.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Uncertainty is rife in the world of business. The coal trading company where Yang Tianzhen worked went bust due to poor management. He analysed the reasons for the company's failure and, using the professional network he had built up during his time there, travelled to Hejin to secure several long-term coal and coke transport deals.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Yang Tianzhen was bold and forthright, and with his dedicated management, his business grew increasingly busy. Over a few years, he amassed huge capital, becoming a renowned trendsetter in Yuncheng's coal and coke transport sector. Amidst the wealth built on “black gold”, Yang bought property and land, rode around in a Mercedes-Benz, ate lavish meals, and fraternised exclusively with big bosses in the coal and coke industry, living an enviable life. He was a man of genuine character, yet distinct from ordinary emotional people; he liked to ponder things.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
The ills of the long-term overexploitation of coal resources in our province were fully exposed, and contradictions such as environmental pollution, resource destruction and unbalanced economic development in coal-producing areas were eagerly reported by the media. Starting from September 2005, our province took measures to close illegal coal mines, renovate small coal mines and promote the development of large groups. In 2006, the “new coal policy‘ was implemented and a sustainable development fund was established. I realised that money in the coal industry was no longer easy to make. If I didn't do this, what else could I do? Yang Tianzhen wondered.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
One day, he was having dinner with a group of coal barons. As they feasted on exotic delicacies, the bosses reminisced with heartfelt nostalgia: “We'll never taste that kind of pork from the single pig slaughtered in the village every year when we were kids. It was so delicious!” While the others were just making casual conversation, Yang Tianzhen turned these few remarks over and over in her mind.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
“If eco-friendly pig farming can be achieved, wholesome pork will certainly win the favour of consumers and there'll definitely be economic benefits too.” A simple concept popped into Yang Tianzhen's mind.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Nationwide pioneering model文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
One day in 2007, a friend who had once borrowed 50,000 yuan from Yang Tianzhen came knocking on her door. “Look, I've put so much money in without seeing any returns, and now I don't even have money to buy feed. How about this, come and work with me.” The friend was from Xia County, and he extended a sincere invitation. Planning a career transition, Yang Tianzhen drove with this friend to the pig farm in Sijiao Town, Xia County.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
It was the season of chirping birds and fragrant flowers, with the mountain lush and green and springs trickling through the valleys, resembling a veritable fairyland. Yang Tianzhen took a stroll up the mountain, and the wild fruits covering the hillsides completely captivated him. The chestnuts, though small, were sweet enough to make one smack one's lips in delight, and the wild strawberries in the valley were also a heavenly treat.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Having spent half his life dealing with coal yards, Yang Tianzhen fell in love with this place from the bottom of his heart. Looking at hundreds of domestic pigs penned up and squealing with hunger, he said: “Pigs can be raised, but not like this.” To go into farming, he had to take a different path. He wanted to let the pigs forage freely on the mountain, eating wild fruit instead of feed and drinking spring water. Especially in autumn after September, ripe wild chestnuts, walnuts, persimmons and jujubes could provide the pigs with an abundant food supply.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Has anyone ever raised pigs like this? He had no idea. A clueless Yang Tianzhen set off on his journey. He drove all over the country to learn from the experts.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
After touring Fujian and Shandong, a variety of novel and unusual pig-farming methods opened his eyes, yet none of the farms raised pigs on a mountain. An expert in pig farming in Shandong, after asking about the environment surrounding Yang Tianzhen's farm, said: “Organic pigs are very popular internationally, but organic pigs that eat wild fruits and drink mountain spring water really don't exist yet. If you truly manage to produce a completely pollution-free, primitive-ecology organic pig, your pork will be the best in the world.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
World number one! Yang Tianzhen was quite excited, and he was raring to go. In fact, looking back today, when Yang Tianzhen had asked a professor what the standards for organic pigs were, the professor had also been temporarily at a loss for words. A detail that had been overlooked back then had now led to Yang Tianzhen's original organic pig-farming model.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Returning to Xia County, Yang Tianzhen invested over a million yuan to build a pig farm. The forestry area of Sijiao Town in the Zhongtiao Mountains is over ten miles' drive from the nearest mountain village, and Yang Tianzhen's pig farm was located deep within the forestry area, in a remote location with poor transport access. To build the pig farm, Yang Tianzhen lived on the mountain every day, digging stones and laying foundations alongside the workers. He leased tens of thousands of mu of mountainous land, bought several hundred domestic pigs, and began his journey into organic pig farming.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Villagers from surrounding villages all rushed over to watch the fun. With a mountain this big, could you really raise pigs? During the interview, Sun Sanyuan, the Party Branch Secretary of Xigou Village, recalled: “When we heard that a coal boss was coming to the mountain to raise pigs, and that he was going to let the pigs roam free on the mountain, the villagers thought it was very strange. Was there something wrong with this bloke? If the pigs run around every day, they won't put on weight—how could he possibly make any money?”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Suffered heavy losses in the past文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
In the summer of 2008, a business partner suggested driving the pigs up the mountain: “After the autumn, just like harvesting crops, you can bring the pigs back.” Inexperienced Yang Tianzhen, feeling somewhat doubtful, followed the advice anyway.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
For the past six months, Yang Tianzhen has constantly pondered the standards for organic pigs, stocking up on organic corn as pig feed and installing pollution-free deep-litter fermentation beds in the pigsties, keeping himself happily busy every day. With winter approaching, he restrained his joy at the impending harvest and hired a group of villagers to go up the mountain to “gather the pigs”.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Searching and searching, dozens of villagers put in a huge amount of effort to retrieve over 600 pigs. “That's not right. When we went up the mountain, there were over 1,000 pigs. How come there aren't more now, and instead there are fewer?” Yang Tianzhen was at his wit's end, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He and his business partner headed up the mountain overnight, shining torches and searching frantically everywhere for signs of the pigs.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
After days and nights, Yang Tianzhen hurried a few pigs down the mountain, dishevelled and looking a sight. Once at the bottom, he dropped heavily onto the ground, genuinely feeling like throwing in the towel at that moment. After a while, he came to his senses, realising that the arrow was already notched on the bow string and he had no choice but to fire, leaving him with no option but to bite the bullet and press on.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
A lack of management was the reason for the failure of this free-range model. Subsequently, Yang Tianzhen recruited more than ten herders to drive the pigs up the mountain in the early morning and drive them back in the evening, counting the number every day and keeping a close watch on them.
Yang Tianzhen's domestic pig ran off to the mountains, hit it off with the wild boars in the forest, and after coming down the mountain, gave birth to the fruit of their love. That is to say, second-generation wild boars. These second-generation wild boars have enhanced climbing abilities, combining all the advantages of both parents, and their meat quality is noticeably superior to that of domestic pigs and pure wild boars. “Back in 2008, his cost per kilogram of pork already exceeded 60 yuan, while ordinary pork was under 20 yuan. You tell me, how was he making a profit?” said a friend of Yang Tianzhen. His thinking was way ahead of its time; he said that pollution-free, green pork would be the darling of the future meat market, and within three years, he would definitely crack the market.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Infrastructure needs money, hiring personnel needs money, launching projects needs money—Yang Tianzhen poured huge amounts of money into the mountain. “When investment fell behind, he mortgaged his own house and car, and poured even more money into the pig farm. During the hardest times, the family's monthly living expenses were less than 300 yuan, and his wife's meals every day consisted of steamed buns and salted vegetables. His wife didn't understand, she wept and asked him: ”What are you playing at? Why not stick to a good, money-making business, and instead farm pigs? Farming pigs is fine, but other people's pigs are ready for market in 3 months while yours take 12; other people feed them 1-yuan-per-kilo feed while you feed them 4-yuan-per-kilo organic corn? Other people just build a pigpen, while you spend hundreds of thousands a year on deep litter systems? Tell me, what on earth are you trying to do?“” "Friends didn't understand, my wife didn't understand, and I silently bore it all. I knew very well that what I was doing was organic standards. If I don't do this, someone else will; this is the future trend. The more severe pollution becomes, the more organic food will be praised. Organic pigs have high requirements for housing—zero pollution, zero emissions. The deep litter system is produced by the fermentation of sawdust and straw, which rapidly converts waste such as manure and urine. The high protein and fungi it produces are all beneficial to the pigs," Yang Tianzhen explained.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Twelve months later, the improved second-generation wild boars were ready for market, and he gave some of the pork to his friends to try, who all clicked their tongues in praise of the aroma. “Pork from pigs that exercise every day has more lean meat and is quite chewy.” Yang Tianzhen was very confident about this.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Second-generation wild boar, free-range, eating wild fruits, drinking spring water, sleeping on fermented bedding, eating organic maize... These are Yang Tianzhen's key phrases regarding organic pigs. What are the organic standards? Yang Tianzhen is thinking about this constantly. When people get sick they need medicine, and when pigs get sick they need medicine too; if pigs take chemical drugs, can they still be called organic pigs?文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Yang Tianzhen denied this. Pigs that had been given medication could not, in his view, be considered organic, and he continually adjusted his new standards. He travelled far to Fujian, where he invited Lan Bingrong, a 70-year-old traditional Chinese veterinary medicine expert who had spent many years working on a project using herbal medicine to prevent livestock diseases.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
With a monthly salary of 6000 yuan, this elderly man, who had been fretting over having nowhere to put his skills to use, settled down at the “Jianxin Farming Cooperative”. Nearly 20 varieties of herbs unique to the mountain, including weeping forsythia, thinleaf milkwort, danshen, large-leaf gentian, hawthorn, peach kernel, spiny jujube seed, umbrella polypore, northern schisandra fruit, and altaic anemone, became routine dietary supplements for the organic pigs. “Once I have the capital, I plan to import a set of equipment from abroad to have the organic pigs pass away in a pain-free state, so that no toxins accumulate in their bodies, making them even more compliant with the standards.” In this way, Yang Tianzhen has been pioneering his unique organic pig-rearing model, launching an ambitious drive towards the title of “number one in the world”.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
leading villagers to prosperity文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
In March 2010, the organic product certification procedures were fully completed. On that very day, Yang Tianzhen's three pigs sold for 20,000 yuan. This news was like dropping a bomb in the deep mountains; the surrounding villagers were shocked, and they came one after another to make enquiries, wanting to raise organic pigs as well.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Leading impoverished villagers to prosperity has long been Yang Tianzhen's “salvation” dream. However, he was reluctant to let these kind and simple villagers bear the risks, so he was waiting for the right moment. Once his products had completely broken into the market and the market was mature, he would guide the villagers on a path to prosperity.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Therefore, he made a firm resolution, took on debt to invest in an assembly line, packaged pork into bags, and personally travelled to various technology exhibitions with his products, step by step opening up the market. Hard work pays off. Many people began to take an interest in organic food.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
Around the 2011 Spring Festival, sales of 5,000 kilogrammes of organic pork gave Yang Tianzhen the reassurance he needed. He knew that a shift in mindset was the supporting pillar for the rise of the organic industry. “Before leading the villagers to prosperity, I had to consider many issues. How could I develop the economy without destroying the pristine natural environment of the Zhongtiao Mountains? I brought in forestry experts, and after a lengthy period of investigation and feasibility studies, we discovered that pig manure could serve as fertiliser for the forest area. Furthermore, the pigs do not gnaw on trees; they focus solely on acorns and wild fruits on the ground, which even indirectly benefits the soil in the forest area. With this conclusion, I was reassured, and I could plan a broader, environmentally friendly organic path.” Yang Tianzhen's speech and way of thinking showed that he is a responsible businessman.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
At present, Yang Tianzhen's company has two free-range farming bases, five breeding pig farms, and one slaughterhouse, making it the largest organic wild boar farming base in the province.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
He is planning a path to prosperity for the people of Zhongtiao Mountain. He hopes that they will first grow organic corn to solve the feed problem for organic pigs, then raise organic pigs according to his standards, and next turn the fertiliser from the fermentation beds into an organic fertiliser production line. Finally, he also wants to develop ecotourism. “Zhongtiao Mountain is the forest area with the most tree species in Shanxi, with a forest area of 24,700 hectares and a coverage rate of about 40%, mainly consisting of deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests dominated by oak and Chinese pine, as well as precious Eucommia, black walnut and lacquer trees. Local farmers can raise organic pigs while running farmhouse-style accommodations and catering. Tourists from all over can come here to enjoy the scenery, taste organic pork, and sample wild fruits and mountain springs,” Yang Tianzhen visualised aloud.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
On 6 February, in the glow of the setting sun, the herdsmen blew their whistles as herds of organic pigs strode down the steep mountain and ran back to their enclosures. In the office, Yang Tianzhen and several farmers were filling out a cultivation survey form for organic corn. A green path to prosperity was extending into the distance from beneath the feet of this former coal baron.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/
(Source: Sanjin Metropolis Daily, 9 February 2011 10:16)文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11286/