E-commerce raises incomes and optimism in far west

Better lives

Turak Abdurasul used to make a living by growing walnuts and wheat in Aksu's Wushi county. However, the work only brought an annual income of 10,000 yuan, making it difficult to provide for his wife and three children.

The 39-year-old farmer, who knew nothing about e-commerce, never imagined that he would benefit from the development of the sector.

In 2015, at the recommendation of the local government, he landed a job with Zhenxing Animal Husbandry Co, a private enterprise only a few kilometers from his home.

The company's main business is raising cows and sheep for slaughter. The meat is packed in attractive gift boxes before being sold on its online store.

Much of the livestock comes from poor farmers in nearby villages who are unable to make a profit raising the animals. Instead, they entrust the work to the company in return for an annual dividend.

The company has registered a trademark for its fresh meat and opened a restaurant in Quzhou, Zhejiang, where the meat is served and exhibited to help more people in East China learn about high-quality Xinjiang products.

The measures have been effective, and the meat has been well-received by consumers.

In addition to Zhejiang, many groups of online buyers in provinces such as Sichuan, where hotpot is a staple dish, order large amounts of beef and lamb, said Yuan Yuan, Zhenxing Animal Husbandry's general manager.

Last year, meat sales generated revenue of 3 million yuan, and the figure is expected to double this year, according to Yuan. "Rising sales of our meat products online are bringing better lives to our poorer employees," she said.

Turak is one such example. Having started as a livestock breeder at the company, he is now a staff manager earning a salary of 4,000 yuan a month.

The company also pays his national insurance contributions and gives him an annual bonus.

"Earning a stable income, I paid off my debts, bought a liquid crystal display television for my family and a smartphone for myself," he said, adding that he is preparing for the drivers' test and plans to buy a car if he passes.