According to Zhou Hongjiang, chairman of Changyu Group, in an exclusive interview during this year's two sessions, the annual meetings of the country's top legislative and advisory bodies, which kicked off in Beijing on March 5, rural areas in Yantai should develop more local specialty industries based on their individual conditions, which plays an important role in promoting the country's all-around rural revitalization.

Zhou is also a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy from the coastal city of Yantai in East China's Shandong province.

Zhou added that grape planting can not only increase farmers' incomes, but can revitalize the rural economy and beautify the ecological environment.   

Changyu Group, China's oldest and largest wine maker, has responded actively to participate in the country's all-around rural revitalization work. The group has six grape planting areas in Yantai, Beijing, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Ningxia and Xinjiang, covering a total area of more than 13,333.33 hectares. It has adopted a new business model by providing financial and technological support to local farmers, ensuring rural areas develop local industries based on their individual conditions.

"Our grape planting bases in Ningxia and Xinjiang have played a vital role in helping local farmers get rid of poverty and become rich," said Zhou.

Zhou added that grape planting needs a lot of capital investment, which is indeed a heavy burden for individual farmers, and the government should introduce more preferential policies and offer financial support to grape farmers in order to help local areas develop their specialty industries.

A vineyard in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]