Village people look to the future

Farmer Sun Xiaoming used to be a victim of the ever-fluctuating prices of tomatoes. Even when the harvest was plentiful he was anxious, because more produce on the market meant a lower price.

However, Sun has now acquired a bargaining tool. The 49-year-old from Zengjiawan village in Caofeidian, Hebei province, is a member of a vegetable farmers' association. The association buys vegetable seeds and fertilizers at wholesale prices and sells the resultant produce to dealers at a higher price.

The association was the brainchild of three officials who were dispatched to Sun's village from the nearby State-owned No 6 Farm. Each of the 58 households in the village that grows tomatoes and celery has joined the association since it was founded in September.