Cooperative helps village in Yantai develop

Yujiahe, a remote village in Guojiadian town, Laizhou, Yantai city is on its way to prosperity with the help of a local cooperative supported by the village’s Party branch.

Yujiahe has developed strong peach-growing and beekeeping industries, which has helped raise incomes for households in the village.

The village is located at the foot of Gushan Mountain, and the mountainous terrain has slowed the village’s development. In 2019, the village launched a specialized agricultural cooperative, which later decided to begin growing peach trees.

"The peaches are growing well. There is more than 50 mu (3.33 hectares) of peach trees, which are expected to yield 1,500 kilograms per mu," said Zhang Jinping, secretary of the Party branch of the village.

The village has also developed a bee breeding industry with the help of the many native flowers in the area. The cooperative has raised 100 boxes of bees, which has helped increase local incomes. The wattle honey they produce is among the top four varieties in China and is high in nutrition, with each kilogram costing nearly 30 yuan ($4.29).

According to Zhang, the village is planning to further develop its peach-growing industry and begin deep processing its bee honey.