After the winter solstice, the cold wind from the desert makes arixi village even colder. However, the jujube processing plant, which is located on the edge of the desert and covers an area of more than 10000 square meters, has been a busy scene in recent days. The local villagers are busy cleaning, drying, sorting and packaging. In their concentration, they can hardly hide the joy of increasing income and improving life.

Arixi village is located in Cele County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In history, it was forced to move three times due to sandstorm. Arixi village is close to the "sea of death" Taklimakan Desert, in the forefront of "No.3 wind".

In the past, the harsh ecological environment restricted the development of agriculture and animal husbandry in arixi village. The lack of technology and land was the main cause of poverty.

In 2009, Li Peng, who retired and came to arixi village alone, took the villagers to control the sand and grow jujubes. In ten years, he completely changed the local poverty and backwardness.

When he first came to arixi village, many people ridiculed Li Peng's idea of planting jujubes for controlling desertification. Some villagers even advised, "even if you pour water into this desert, you can't grow crops."

Local cadres also have worries: arixi village is windy and dusty, with dozens of sandstorms a year, especially in the spring blooming season. A sandstorm or a dry hot wind can make all efforts wasted. "What is the concept of dry hot air? It's like the wind of a hair dryer. It's hot and urgent. The flowers will dry when it's swept over. " Village cadres explained.

Decades of experience in agricultural work made Li Peng stubborn and persistent: "to stop sandstorm, rely on windbreaks." He hired people to push away the two-story sandbags, planned the fields, and planted windbreaks and wheat. Three years later, the wheat improved the soil and the windbreak belt came up. Li Peng began to plant jujubes.

"This jujube forest used to be sandbags." "If it wasn't for this jujube forest, it would be more windy here, let alone working to earn money," recalls 56 year old mashali Skanda

Like mashali Skanda, for more than ten years, the villagers have been watching the vegetation continue to extend to the desert. 100 mu windbreak forest and 2000 mu jujube garden have gradually formed a "green pocket" and tightened the air outlet. The red jujube trees, which have entered the high-yield period in succession, are covered with the square grid surrounded by the windbreak belt, which separates the yellow sand from the village. In the past, barren land was "dyed" green. Pang zaishun, leader of the village working team, said that among the 6067 mu of land in arixi village, the area of jujube has reached 5707 mu, and more than 2700 mu of land has been "recovered" for production after sand control.

In order to raise funds for development, Li Peng took out all his savings, sold the houses in the city, and borrowed money from many friends. Today, several books are also densely recording the loan and repayment information ranging from several thousand yuan to several hundred thousand yuan. Like a snowball, Li Peng developed land by land, while the villagers worked in the jujube garden, which not only increased their income, but also learned planting techniques.

In the eyes of villagers, a straw hat and a pair of cloth shoes are Li Peng's standard accessories. During the critical period of jujube growth, he always taught villagers management techniques hand in hand.

Maimaitijiang and maimaimaiming, who are just over 30 years old, have worked in Zaoyuan for more than eight years. With an income of more than 30000 yuan a year, the family's conditions improved rapidly: they built a new house and married a daughter-in-law. "We have learned the planting techniques, and our jujube trees have increased in yield." Maitijiang maitiming said.

Over the past ten years, Li Peng's jujube garden has employed 1.4 million people, paid more than 18 million yuan of labor service fee, and paid 2.8 million yuan of labor service fee in 2019 alone. The per capita income of this deep poverty village with more than 600 households and 2400 people has increased from 2173 yuan in 2009 to 10425 yuan today.

There are only four teams (village groups) in arixi village, but Zaoyuan has become the fifth team in the hearts of the villagers, so Li Peng is affectionately called "team leader" by the villagers. Seeing a Rixi village changing day by day, Li Peng, who is already 70 years old, sighed: "I want to leave the rest of my time and life here."

Source: China Environment News