"Clear Water, Leaping Fish: Revitalizing Yinken Village"

Challenge

In 2021, Yinken Village's per capita annual income was below RMB 10,000, and collective village income was under RMB 50,000 — more than 60% below the local average. Young adults had left in large numbers; seniors over 60 comprised over 70% of the resident population. This "hollowing out" sapped the village's internal development momentum. Despite abundant Class II quality mountain stream water, the absence of scaled industry planning and market channels left this natural resource idle. No formal industry system existed, aquaculture relied on traditional experience, sales depended solely on local markets, and benefit-sharing mechanisms were absent.

Solution

Sinochem Lantian centered its assistance on clear-water fish aquaculture.

First, it built a "three-in-one" funding pool: RMB 1.1 million in startup capital leveraged over RMB 7 million in government matching funds and RMB 10 million in third-party enterprise investment. Within just 10 months, two hectares of forest and farmland were consolidated, and 150 "zero-discharge" ecological aquaculture tanks were built, producing 5,000 tons of clear-water fish annually, delivering Zhejiang Province's largest single-site clear-water fish farming base.

Second, a four-party collaboration covered the entire value chain. Partnering with the Quzhou Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau and the Fisheries Research Institute, the team developed the Clear-Water Fish Aquaculture Standard, registered a commercial brand, and trained over 20 villagers in water quality monitoring and disease prevention. Testing confirmed zero antibiotic residues. A direct supply chain from "base to enterprise cafeterias to restaurants and supermarkets" was established, with annual purchases exceeding 800 tons at a 60% price premium, yet demand still exceeded supply. A "guaranteed base + floating dividend" distribution mechanism secured RMB 300,000 in annual minimum dividends for the village collective.

Third, industry extension was realized. Fishing experiences and fish culture study tours were developed, a fish culture exhibition hall was built, and the village now receives over 7,000 visitors annually, spawning three agritainment businesses. A village collective entrepreneurship fund supported over 20 young people returning to start businesses.

Impact & Value

Sinochem Lantian pioneered the "central SOE guidance + government backing + market operation + villager participation" industrial assistance model, achieving a shift from "external support" to "self-sufficient development." Since the base began operations in 2022, it has not relied on external donations — a critical benchmark for self-sustaining rural development.

Village collective annual net income surged from under RMB 50,000 to over RMB 1 million, with operational income rising from under 10% to over 90% of total revenue. The village was named a "Zhejiang Provincial Strong Collective Economy Village." Participating households increased their annual income by over RMB 30,000, and per capita village income surpassed RMB 15,000 — a transformative improvement from the sub-RMB 10,000 level just three years prior.

Annual clear-water fish sales exceeded RMB 20 million, driving RMB 5 million in related industry gains. The "zero-discharge" water circulation technology protects Class II water quality, achieves 100% tailwater reuse, saves 300,000 tons of water annually, and maintains over 90% forest coverage in the aquaculture zone.

Eighty percent of collective income funds villager welfare, including eldercare subsidies and education assistance, and disputes declined by 60% year-on-year as economic stability fostered social harmony. Over 20 young people returned to start businesses, reversing the "hollowing out" trend. The model was included in Zhejiang's 26 mountainous county pairing assistance typical cases, providing a replicable blueprint for central SOE industrial assistance nationwide.