Shandong Huantai Square Inch Courtyard Weaving Income Increase Chart

In summer and autumn, when I walked into Heyatou Village, Suozhen Street, Huantai County, Zibo City, Shandong Province, I heard bursts of laughter from the women's and children's activity room: "Sister, this rose, you have to make it up like this..."

"There is a new batch of knitting rose orders for export, and training is under way inside." Gong Jianfeng, secretary of the Heyatou Village branch, said as he pushed open the door of the activity room: dozens of elder sisters were sitting at the table in turn, holding crochet in one hand and wool in the other. The table was piled with thread balls of different colors, creating a strong learning atmosphere.

Song Aiye, a 57 year old villager, has mastered the craft of crocheting since childhood. In the past, there used to be textile mills in villages and towns. Most rural women of her age worked there during the slack season. "The craftsmanship taught by the teachers of the textile mill is not 'discarded' at any age."

"Most of the women in the village are between 50 and 70 years old. Because they have to take care of children, they can't go to other places to work to earn money, but they have a lot of skills to spare. I want to take them to develop courtyard economy," said Gong Jianfeng.

In the women's and children's room of Heyatou Village, Suozhen Street, Huantai County, Zibo City, Shandong Province, a woman is knitting a bag with hemp rope. Photographed by Ye Jing, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency

This year, the No. 1 Document of the Central Committee of the People's Republic of China was written into the "courtyard economy" for the first time, clearly stating that "we should encourage qualified farmers in poverty alleviation areas to develop courtyard economy". In Huantai, the courtyard economy development model developed in the form of "village enterprises+farmer orders" is gradually spreading.

Ma Jing, secretary of the Party Leadership Group and chairman of Huantai County Women's Federation, said that the women's wealth project in Heyatou Village was one of their handicraft cases of developing courtyard economy. The village branch will lead the cooperative to cooperate with the enterprise to provide weaving orders for the villagers to make at home. It has widened the channels for rural women to increase their income and improved their own value.

"Our project pays piecework wages, and more than 200 women participate in it, radiating and driving eight villages around. In addition to centralized training, there is no mandatory working time, and everyone takes materials home to do it. Some of them are familiar with each other, and they meet in twos and threes, chatting and working together." Gong Jianfeng said.

Xiong Guifang, a 67 year old villager from Gengqiao Village, Suozhen Street, was attracted by the slogan of "earn more money, and watch the baby without delay". It's summer vacation now, and Xiong Guifang has brought her grandson for training.

First, I crocheted petals and leaves, and then combined them into a rose from small to large... Xiong Guifang flipped his fingers, and soon crocheted a petal: "I have to watch the children. I do it slowly, and earn less. I also earn 6000 or 7000 yuan a year. They do more work, and can earn 10000 or 20000 yuan a year."

In many places in Shandong, the courtyard economy operated in a small way has not only enabled farmers to be self-sufficient, but also gradually integrated into characteristic industries, rural tourism, etc., guiding farmers to embrace new business forms, accept new ideas, connect with the big market, and radiate new vitality.

In Qifeng Town, Huantai County, which has rich resources in the lake area, driven by local leading enterprises and cooperatives, the grass and reed weaving, which was produced and sold by each household in the past and operated in a scattered manner, has rarely been seen. Instead, it is an industrialized operation based on the development of courtyard economy. At present, Qifeng Town has initially formed a one-stop production system of handicrafts and household goods, mainly consisting of grass, wood, willow, cattail and other natural materials, covering more than 1000 varieties.

Wei Maifang, the secretary of Wunan Village Branch in Qifeng Town, said that they had driven more than 600 women in a dozen surrounding villages to obtain employment through the establishment of cooperatives such as straw weaving. The village's collective economic income has grown from less than 100000 yuan in 2017 to more than 2 million yuan in 2022, and nearly 1.5 million yuan has been added to villagers' income through cooperatives.

"Next, we will actively link more industrial resources, so that women who are idle at home can have something to do and hope for, and experience the happiness of employment and income increase at home," Ma Jing said. (Reporter Ye Jing)

(Source: Xinhua News Agency New Media)