Farmers rake in profits from program

Zhang Zhiqin, a farmer in Northwest China's Gansu province, will spend more time this year taking care of his family fortune: three cows and five lambs, which he bought with the help of local banks.

For many years, the people of Chisha village in Dingxi, Gansu, have made a living through farming, but steep mountainous terrain, frequent droughts and a hostile natural environment mean profit margins have always been slim.

Zhang dreamed of raising livestock, but lacked the money to buy any cows or sheep. "My neighbors were also poor. I didn't know who I could borrow the money from," he said.