Brewer helps plant seeds for success

A technician inspects a barley field in Yongchang, Gansu province. Many farmers in the province grow barley for Anheuser-Busch InBev NV under a contract program. [Photo/Xinhua]

Contract farming program leading farmers in Northwest China on path to prosperity, reports Xie Yu in Wuwei, Gansu

Farmer Wang Xueping's fondest wish is that Gansu, her home province in Northwest China, will get more rain so her farmland will be more productive.

Gansu accounts for less than 2 percent of China's grain output, although it covers 4.6 percent of the country's land area.

Much of the province is high and dry, making it unsuitable for raising grain. But people are trying to use modern planting methods to change the situation.

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Last year, Wang, 32, joined a contract barley farming program organized by Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, the world's biggest brewer.

Wang's home is on the loess plateau near the Tengger Desert. Irrigation systems rely on melted snow from the Qilian Mountains.

"My family has been growing barley for years. We earn less than growing wheat. But barley can survive with very little water, which is a safe choice for us," she said.

After joining the program, Wang said output rose by 50 percent last year to 9,000 kilograms per hectare, with the help of experts from AB InBev.

The purchase price set by the company was 2.20 yuan (35 cents) per kg, 10 percent higher than in 2012.

Masson Zhang, vice-president of procurement at AB InBev for the Asia-Pacific region, said: "We can help growers improve quality and output through this program, as well as enhance soil health and moisture retention. And this program helps reduce risks in the supply chain and the market for the company's operations."

Farmers can use a "smart barley" app to help with their crops. The app uses data compiled by participants in the program in China as well as Russia, Canada and the United States.

"It is the first step in our mission to create a full industry chain in China, and it also shows our unswerving commitment to the China market," Zhang said.