STORY: Faces of China: Seed expert leading fellow villagers to prosperity
SHOOTING TIME: File
DATELINE: Dec. 11, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:44
LOCATION: JIYUAN, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of seeds and fields
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.
6. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.
7. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): WANG XIAOQING, Local farmer
8. SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.

STORYLINE:

69-year-old Hou Sanyuan has worked in the seeds industry for decades.

In 2001, he founded a company focusing on vegetable seed breeding in Jiyuan City, central China's Henan Province.

Over the past 20 years, he has dedicated himself to tackling technical challenges in seed production, leading thousands of farmers to prosperity through vegetable seed production.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.
"We produce over 600 varieties of seeds annually, with nearly 400 of them designated for overseas markets. This industry allows for sowing, blooming, and harvesting all year around."

For Hou, running a seeds company was not an impulsive decision.

Hou started his farming career at the age of 19. He spent over 20 years working with field crops, gradually becoming an expert in wheat seed breeding.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.
"I've been working with seeds since I was 19. It's been a lifetime dedication. In 2001, I established a small company with just 8 staff members. Vegetable seed breeding is very different from grain crop breeding. It requires much higher technical expertise. So, we set up a technical department. Based on our production needs, we conduct 20 to 30 scientific experiments every year to accumulate experience."

Hou and his team traveled across major vegetable seed production regions in the country, gaining in-depth knowledge of seed production techniques and continuously refining their methods.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.
"After so many years of experimentation, our seed yield has increased significantly, and the quality of our seeds has improved as well."

In 2018, Hou led his team to start attempting the full-process mechanization of vegetable seed production.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.
"You can see how straight it goes, right? It's under the navigation of the BeiDou Satellite Navigation System."

Currently, around 12,000 farming households in Jiyuan are involved in this industry, with nearly 60,000 mu (4,000 hectares) of land dedicated to vegetable seed production. It has become the largest vegetable seed production base in Henan.

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.
"What we do is to show the farmers the way and lead them to succeed. The local government has specifically set up a leadership group for the revitalization of the vegetable seed industry to address issues like water supply facilities and greenhouse seedling equipment."

SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): WANG XIAOQING, Local farmer
"Since I started planting seeds with Lyuyin, I've been able to buy a small car and even an apartment in Jiyuan urban area. And I'm able to support both of my children in pursuing their university education."

Thanks to the high quality, Jiyuan's vegetable seeds have been exported to over 20 countries and regions.

SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): HOU SANYUAN, Chairman of Henan Lyuyin Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd.
"My dream is to see the seeds of Jiyuan sown across the world. I hope this industry continues to thrive and brings greater benefits to more farmers in the mountainous regions."

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