Alpacas pack a punch in poverty fight

When it comes to the alpaca, it is hard to connect the cute creature originating in the Andes, South America, with the Loess Plateau, a region of barren plains and fragile ecosystems.

In 2014, a private company cashed in on Chinese people's affection for the exotic animal and introduced the species to the plateau in North China's Shanxi province.

Over six years, the population of alpaca has increased from 100 to 2,000, with most of them sold to pet lovers, parks and zoos across China. Each alpaca is priced at around 20,000 yuan ($2,880), said Deng Xin, general manager of Qifengshan Breeding.

The company's breeding base is in Yangqu county, which is at a high altitude and has a climate similar to conditions in the Andes, Deng said.

"Before this breeding base, there was no precedent of large-scale alpaca breeding in China. I started as a layperson without any predecessors to follow," said Deng, who developed a fondness for alpacas when she was studying overseas.

When the business first started, the survival rate of newborn alpacas was below 50 percent.

Deng learned how to make the right formula for them, treat the animals' illnesses and place the correct number of alpacas in a pen for optimal growth.

She also attended Shanxi Agricultural University to improve her knowledge of scientific breeding methods and hired veterinarians.

In 2017, Deng was able to limit the death rate of the newborn to under 1 percent.

An added benefit was that the company was also able to contribute to the impoverished local villages.

The plateau region, with a stressed ecosystem, is one of the last areas in the country to eradicate absolute poverty, a national target that has been set for the end of this year.

In recent years, several innovative startups like Qifengshan have emerged in the region, helping to create job opportunities.

In 2017, the Yangqu county government became a shareholder in the breeding company. Since then, eight impoverished villages have received a share of 2 million yuan in dividends generated annually by the breeding base.

With the money, a senior center has been built and village roads upgraded. The area has also attracted more tourists, and villagers have opened guesthouses and restaurants. "These alpacas have changed our village," said Li Xiulong, the secretary of the Pingli village Party committee.

Since 2017, the company has hired more than 50 villagers, he said.

Each of them can earn an annual salary of over 30,000 yuan. Villagers can also benefit from more than 500 jobs that supply and serve the company's business.

In 2018, the village was lifted out of poverty. Last year, the per capita disposable income of the 760 villagers exceeded 5,000 yuan.

"If I had gone to a big city as a migrant worker as I have done before, my income would have been significantly affected this year by the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, which has shrunk employment," said Li Jinshuan, one of the company's alpaca feeders.

The job provides him with a stable monthly salary of over 2,700 yuan. In Yangqu, there are 11 companies engaged in breeding and related industries. Impoverished villagers can either work for them or supply farm produce to them, said Hou Aiying, chief poverty relief official in the county.

"We have 4,300 impoverished people benefiting from a rise in income from the companies. Over 92 percent of local poor households have become involved with these businesses in one way or another," Hou said.