On October 26, in the deep autumn season, over 800 acres of millet peppers in Dahuangzhuang Village, Guhan Town, Xiangyuan County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, are entering the harvest season. The vibrant red peppers hang heavily on the branches as villagers bustle about the plantation, their fingers deftly picking the ripe fruit, while the fields are filled with bulging pepper bags. According to villager Hao Aihong, who is working at the base, “It's the peak harvest season now; the more we work, the more we earn.” The base has provided local villagers with job opportunities throughout the year, enabling them to earn a stable income right at their doorstep, truly achieving the harmony of earning a living while caring for the family.
Cai Haiya, the person in charge of the base, explained, “The millet peppers we cultivate are of excellent quality and strong spiciness, not only selling well in the local market but also being exported to Guizhou and even overseas, recognized by food processing firms and consumers alike.” It is understood that Dahuangzhuang Village’s millet peppers primarily serve as raw materials for hot pot base, chili powder, and other deep-processed products. Their consistent quality and unique flavor have built a strong market reputation.
In recent years, Dahuangzhuang Village has actively promoted a development model of “village collective + enterprise + farmers,” collaborating with agricultural companies to centralize land circulation for large-scale millet pepper cultivation. This approach has effectively reduced planting risks for farmers and enhanced industrial benefits, making millet peppers a “pillar” of the village's collective economy.
Qin Jianbiao, the Party Secretary and village committee director of Dahuangzhuang, stated that millet pepper cultivation is a labor-intensive industry that requires significant manpower at every stage from seedlings, transplantation, field management to harvesting. Currently, the base has provided stable employment to over 300 nearby villagers.
Looking ahead, Dahuangzhuang Village will continue to focus on specialty planting, closely following market demands, actively introducing superior new varieties, and comprehensively promoting green, efficient cultivation techniques. Additionally, the village plans to enhance varietal improvement, technological upgrades, and brand building, aiming to extend the industrial chain and increase the added value of agricultural products, injecting stronger and more sustainable endogenous momentum into rural revitalization.