Pingyao village rids poverty through millet cultivation

Meihuaitou village, 25 kilometers away from the county seat of Pingyao, has in recent years been lifted out of poverty since cultivating and developing millet, according to local officials.

A cereal grass, millet is extensively cultivated in the East and in southern Europe for its small seed, or grain, used as food for humans and fowls. 

Once a remote mountainous area with poor transportation, Meihuaitou village has been boosted by local millet planting with the help of a government team working on poverty alleviation. 

Lei Zhenzhen, in charge of poverty relief in the village, explained that the village was especially suitable for millet growth due to its local fertile soil, abundant sunshine and wide variations in temperature between day and night. 

Officials said that despite its high-quality millet production, the village's poor location had until recently greatly limited its millet sales. 

In view of the situation, the government team registered a millet brand called Meihuaihuang and established a millet production cooperative -- to increase millet output and help local villagers expand sales channels. As a result, officials said that many tons of millet had since been sold, helping farmers increase their incomes. 

Officials added that the government team will next build a millet processing plant, to increase the added value of locally produced millet and further assist villagers in production and sales.