With over 700 high-standard vegetable greenhouses, a daily production and sale volume of more than 50,000 kilograms of vegetables, and an average annual household income exceeding 200,000 yuan ($27,700), Gengdian village, a once impoverished village in Liaocheng city in East China's Shandong province, is thriving with booming industries and a pleasant environment, where local residents enjoy increasingly prosperous lives.

This remarkable transformation is largely attributed to the visionary leadership of Geng Zunzhu, Party secretary of the village and a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC). Under his guidance, Gengdian has grown into a hub of agricultural innovation and economic prosperity.

Geng Zunzhu demonstrates the growth of cherry tomatoes to reporters in a smart greenhouse. [Photo provided to npc.gov.cn]

In 2002, at the age of 36, Geng was elected as the village's Party secretary and the village committee head with nearly unanimous support from the 620 voters.

On the first page of his notebook, Geng wrote down his mandate: "To serve the villagers wholeheartedly, revitalize the local economy, and increase the income of the people.”

At that time, the per capita annual income of Gengdian was less than 3,000 yuan, houses were dilapidated, roads muddy and difficult to travel, and most villagers were elderly.

Geng recalled: "Our only advantage lay in dozens of vegetable greenhouses." He embarked on a journey to transform Gengdian through the development of high-standard vegetable greenhouses.

The initiative began with the consolidation of scattered land plots into a unified area to set up high-standard vegetable greenhouses. Geng organized multiple visits to Shouguang — a major vegetable production base in Shandong — for learning advanced practices, including 8 visits in 2002. He also invited technicians from Shouguang o guide the villagers in the cultivation of vegetables like cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.

That year, Gengdian achieved an impressive net income of 8,000 yuan per greenhouse, with the most successful one making 14,000 yuan. The success led to a rapid expansion, with the addition of over 100 greenhouses the following year.

"Modern facility agriculture can greatly expand the boundaries of agricultural production. It is a crucial path for rural areas to achieve poverty alleviation and prosperity," Geng noted.

The greenhouse industry in Gengdian village further flourished with the introduction of new technologies such as automatic roller machines and integrated water-fertilizer systems. The automation processes like watering, fertilizing and sowing reduced the labor burden while doubling efficiency, making farming more appealing to the younger generation. More young villagers, known as the "second-generation greenhouse farmers," decided to return home to start businesses.

To support them, Geng spearheaded the establishment of a professional cooperative for vegetable farmers to address various challenges. The cooperative set up a seedling nursery with an annual capacity of 30 million seedlings, provided technical guidance during production and solved post-harvest sales issues by building a vegetable wholesale market within the village. Thanks to these efforts, villagers can handle everything from purchasing seedlings to selling vegetables locally.

Geng Zunzhu (second from left) introduces greenhouse farming to college students conducting a survey at Gengdian village. [Photo provided to npc.gov.cn]

To further encourage young people to return, Gen also took the lead to improve infrastructure and services. Roads were paved, drainage systems installed, and power lines set up. New residential buildings, schools, nursing homes and parks were constructed, transforming the village into a community with a "city-like" atmosphere. "When both industry and family life improve, young people are willing to come back and stay," Geng said.

In 2021, the Liaocheng Rural Talent Training Academy was established in Gengdian to offer specialized training to farmers, marking a significant step in cultivating new professional farmers.

The village also established an entrepreneurship park for its "second-generation greenhouse farmers," complete with a registered trademark and a produce safety testing center. A platform integrating vegetable production, quality control and industrial chains has been in place to ensure traceability of the vegetables and facilitate their entry into major supermarkets in cities like Beijing and Jinan, capital of Shandong. Some of the new generation farmers can earn an annual income of over a million yuan.

In 2018, Geng was elected as an NPC deputy. He harbored a strong desire to uplift neighboring villages, enabling them to share in the prosperity brought by industrial growth and rural vitalization.

"One village becoming prosperous does not mean true prosperity. Those who get rich first must help others get rich as well." With this vision, in 2021, Gengdian joined forces with 10 neighboring villages to form Gengdian New Village, with Geng as the Party secretary. This collaboration aimed to explore a development model of regional linkage and shared prosperity.

Today, the new village boasts over 1,000 mu (66.67 hectares) of high-standard farmland, 500 mu of orchards and has expanded its greenhouse cultivation area from 1,600 mu to over 3,000 mu. It has also supported five nearby towns and 26 economically disadvantaged villages in establishing 183 "common prosperity greenhouses."

As a dedicated NPC deputy, Geng remains committed to addressing grassroots issues in rural areas. His efforts in proposing improvements in rural elderly care, preschool education and medical services have garnered attention and appreciation from various government departments.

"As an NPC deputy, I should have a broader vision to effectively address issues of widespread social concern and those strongly voiced by the people," he said.

As a member of the NPC's Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, he also actively engages in training sessions, surveys and supervision activities to gain deeper insights of rural areas, agriculture and farmers.

Geng Zunzhu, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), attends the third session of the 14th NPC. [Photo provided to npc.gov.cn]

With the implementation of the rural vitalization strategy and the structural reforms on the agricultural supply side, Geng found that building strong agricultural brands has become a crucial way to enhance the added value of agricultural products, increase market competitiveness and promote farmers' income growth.

At this year's NPC annual session, he submitted suggestions on accelerating the branding of agricultural products, attracting attention from relevant departments.

"I often remind myself that I am not only a rural official, but also an NPC deputy who must speak the truth and do practical work for the people," Geng said.

Over the years, he has submitted more than 30 suggestions to drive rural development, covering various fields such as rural roads, cable management, grain storage and talent cultivation.

With a vision for the future, Geng pledges: "I will dedicate myself to making agriculture a promising industry, farming an attractive profession and rural areas beautiful homes where people can live and work happily!"