STORY: Rural financing empowers farmers in Luxian in China's Sichuan
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 2, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 22, 2023
LENGTH: 00:00:58
LOCATION: CHENGDU, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the new farming model combining rice fields and prawns
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): GAO DALUN, Director of the Luxian County Aquaculture Cooperative
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CHEN ZHONGRONG, Farmer from Xinshan Village, Luxian County

STORYLINE:

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): GAO DALUN, Director of the Luxian County Aquaculture Cooperative
"We have promoted a model that focuses on rice cultivation while increasing income through prawn farming. Over the past few years, the cooperative has attracted more than 30,000 members. The members can enjoy unsecured loans of up to 300,000 yuan through the agricultural bank's "agricultural e-loan" program, which helps farmers further expand their breeding bases. So far more than 280 households of our cooperative have obtained loans from the agricultural bank, with a total amount exceeding 50 million yuan."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CHEN ZHONGRONG, Farmer from Xinshan Village, Luxian County
"I loaned 50,000 yuan from the agricultural bank. The staff told me that the annual interest rate, which, when calculated monthly, amounts to just over 100 yuan for a 50,000 yuan loan. So I don't feel much pressure. I truly believe that it serves farmers like us well, addressing the urgent need for funds I had at that time."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Chengdu, China.
(XHTV)