Tianshannet-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Basha Tiegesi) news: On the morning of December 12, Wusiban Alalebai started a busy day at the salmon farm of Xinjiang Tianyun Organic Agriculture Co., Ltd (hereinafter referred to as Tianyun Company) in Nilka County.

“This type of fish is a cold-water species, so before harvesting, we need to lower the water temperature in the breeding pool to one to two degrees Celsius to ensure their freshness,” Wusiban was enthusiastic whenever talking about salmon.

Back in 2014, Wusiban’s family was classified as an impoverished household in Jiaertuohan Village, Kalasu Township, Nilka County. He relied on herding to support his family of four. Despite his hard work, their annual income was only slightly over RMB 10,000.

Wusiban recalled, “At that time, when I went out to herd, I often had to stay awake for more than ten consecutive hours, fearing that I might lose the sheep.”

Since finding a job at the breeding base, Wusiban has been able to receive a stable income of RMB 4,000 every month. This former shepherd has now become a skilled fishery worker.

At the end of 2016, after capturing the first batch of marketable fish from the Kashi River, Tianyun Company proposed a poverty alleviation plan for 609 impoverished households in Kalasu Township. As a result, herders who had relied on herding for generations became shareholders entitled to the company’s dividends.

Under the poverty alleviation model in which government, leading enterprises and impoverished households all play their respective role, Tianyun Company established the Xinjiang Yushuiqing Agricultural Development Company in 2017, contributing 51% of the capital, and impoverished households jointly established the poverty alleviation-oriented company through borrowed funds. Leveraging the advantages of the salmon farm, the company engages in business activities such as labor subcontracting, fishing tourism, and distribution of agricultural products.

As one of the 609 farmers participating in the poverty alleviation scheme, Wusiban invested RMB 10,000 from an interest-free loan to become a shareholder in the company. This change in their role from farm hands to shareholders has greatly boosted their enthusiasm.

Initially, Wusiban had concerns that his investment might be fruitless. He explained, “The Company promised that after three and five years of holding stocks, we would have two opportunities to withdraw at the original price.” What further delights them is that, beside fixed dividends, cooperative members will receive wages and returns on their equity investments by participating in the cooperative’s operations.

In November 2017 and June 2019, the company paid a total of RMB 3.654 million in dividends to the 609 households, with Wusiban receiving RMB 6,000. In 2022, the company held its fifth annual dividend conference, and the 609 households received their dividends once again. To date, the company has paid a total of RMB 7.308 million in guaranteed dividends, with each household receiving RMB 12,000 which has already exceeded their initial investment. This long-term benefit-sharing mechanism tightly binds the enterprise and herders, achieving both corporate development and increased income for the herders.

Furthermore, the company has invested over RMB 20 million, enabling 43 outstanding frontline employees to move into new homes of over 100 square meters located in the county town. Additionally, the company has purchased 150 high-end housing units as employee benefits and incentives. These diversified welfare measures have provided employees with a strong sense of belonging.

After becoming shareholders in the company, herders who had relied on herding for generations now have stable job positions and income.

“Our new home is in the county town. We plan to move there next year after our children complete primary school, so they can receive better education.” At 6 p.m., as Wusiban and his colleagues were about to finish work and head home, they pulled their fishing nets back to the shore together. Seeing the salmon jumping happily in the nets, smiles appeared on their faces.

“At present, the demand for salmon in China is over 200,000 tons, while the domestic production barely surpasses 20,000 tons. In the future, Tianyun will venture into deep-sea farming, aiming to achieve an annual production of over 10,000 tons, allowing consumers to taste the delicious cuisine from the Kashi River in the Tianshan Mountains,” confidently stated Zhang Xiu, the chairman of Tianyun Company. According to the plan, by 2025, the company will achieve a production value of RMB 3 billion by building the salmon industry chain, creating over 10,000 new employment opportunities and continuously boosting the income of more farmers and herders.