Micro-Industries, Macro Impact: Ruian's Path to Rural Shared Prosperity

When the sun climbs above the bamboo groves, a rustling sound rises from the sugarcane fields of Liujia Village in Taoshan Town, Ruian, Wenzhou. Villager Zheng Shijun squats among the towering sugarcane stalks, working nonstop."We come to the fields every day to help—peeling leaves, hilling soil, and controlling pests. We earn 300 yuan a day, which helps support our household." In Taoshan, sugarcane farming has become a way for many households to earn income right at their doorstep. Across Ruian's countryside, numerous such"micro-industries" are scattered throughout the rural landscape. They connect directly to the daily lives of thousands of families, while also anchoring the drive for rural revitalization—forming a visible and tangible hope for shared prosperity on the Ouyue land.

One Sugarcane"Sweetens" Brand Awareness

Zhejiang is home to three types of green-and-yellow-skinned fruit sugarcane: Taoshan green skin from Wenzhou, Wenling yellow skin, and Shanghuqing from Linping. In Taoshan Town, around 4,500 mu of sugarcane fields stretch out in lush green. In three months, these sugarcane stalks will become thick and robust, then be bundled and loaded onto trucks for shipment across the country—some even crossing oceans for export overseas.

"One mu of sugarcane can sell for over 20,000 yuan after basic processing," says Di Youxia, president of the Taoshan Sugarcane Industry Association."After deducting costs, the profit per mu exceeds 10,000 yuan." This calculation reflects the significant economic returns and development potential of the sugarcane industry.

Currently, more than 2,000 households in Taoshan Town are engaged in sugarcane-related industries, with over 60 online and offline processing and sales enterprises and 22 cooperatives. The total output value is projected to exceed 120 million yuan this year.

One Cow"Leads" an Entire Industrial Chain

Deep processing is the key to Huyuan Village's rise. Interestingly, by linking to"cow culture," tourism in the village has also flourished. In 2021, the village's two committees (Party and village committee) upgraded and transformed the riverbank forest, creating the"Ten-Mile Riverbank-Forest" industrial belt and drawing visitors with a Cow Culture Carnival.

Today, this industrial belt receives 30,000 tourists annually, generating approximately 300,000 yuan in rental income for the village collective and driving surrounding tourism revenue of over 3 million yuan. With cattle farming as the main industry and tourism as a supplement, nearly all 3,200 villagers are involved in the cattle industry chain—raising cattle, slaughtering, selling beef, processing beef, opening beef hotpot restaurants, and even researching cow culture. Each link in the chain involves villagers.

In fact, Huyuan Village did not raise cattle in the past. Even today, most of the cattle are imported from Yunnan within China, as well as from Argentina and Australia. This complete beef industry chain has essentially been built from scratch.

One Pumpkin"Brings In" an Entire Production Line

Hidden in Gaolou Town, Ruian, lies a little-known area locals call"Little Tibet"—Xiqiao Village. Unsold fruits and vegetables are transported here, turned into dried produce, and then brought to market.

This transformation is made possible by a newly built 800-square-meter vegetable processing base in the village, which houses Ruian's only steam-powered fruit and vegetable drying production line. A schoolhouse that had stood idle for over ten years was converted into a processing facility, with cleaning, drying, and other auxiliary equipment installed.

During its trial operation, Gongxing Company purchased unsold produce from across Ruian—including nearly 25,000 kilograms of cauliflower, 10,000 kilograms of fresh bamboo shoots, and 4,000 kilograms of string beans. After drying, these products were sold nationwide through online platforms, helping over 70 farming households sell their surplus harvest.

At present, Ruian's"micro-industries" are taking deep roots in local soil, growing toward the sun, and using small yet solid fulcrums to steadily lift the transformative power of rural shared prosperity.