Farmers in Shanxi get rid of poverty by breeding alpacas

Aerial photo taken on July 14, 2018 shows the alpacas grazing on the hill in Yangqu County of north China's Shanxi Province. Liu Xuerong, a poverty-stricken farmer from Pingli Village of Yangqu County, has never dreamed of getting rich with a flock of cute alpacas. In 2014, as a breeding base of a thousand alpacas was built, Liu started embarking on cultivating those Australia-originated alpacas. The breeding base makes a profit from cub breeding, woolen products and tourism of alpaca watching. Liu accordingly earns a monthly wage of 3000 yuan (449 U.S. dollars). Yet in the past, Liu's family relied on growing agricultural products such as corns and potatoes for their livelihoods, with an annual salary of 6000 yuan (897 U.S. dollars). More than 30 poverty-stricken households in Pingli Village have got rid of poverty, with a monthly wage raise of 2000 yuan (299 U.S. dollars). In the next few years, the alpaca breeding base will further expand the reproduction scale, while perfecting management mode, to help promote the poverty relief work. [Photo/Xinhua]