Tang Peijun in his vineyard. [Photo/ts.cn]

For farmers in Turpan, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, grapes are not only tasty but also their main source of income.

This year has seen greater rainfall than usual, resulting in many vineyards becoming too damp to harvest.

But Tang Peijun, Party secretary of Tietier village and one who lives by farming grapes, is sure that there will be a bumper crop after walking around his vineyard.

Having planted grapes for more than 25 years, Tang is extraordinarily good at nurturing the fruit which has made him famous among villagers. In 2013, the 13 acres (0.87 hectares) of grapes he planted earned more than 16 million yuan, an average yield of three tons per acre, while the output of the majority of the village was about two tons. "My grape production is the highest in the village," Tang said.

Tang's high output and income are due to his relentless efforts. "Agricultural experts came to teach us how to grow crops. I was the one who listened to the lecture from start to finish while others either didn't come or listened for only a while," Tang said.

He learned how to grow the fruit and manage his business as well as preventing pests. From then he has become convinced that, to increase income, it is unfeasible to plant just by experience.

After consulting agro-technicians, he learned that by proper thinning and fertilization he can avoid loss. Through repeated experiments grape output became stable and other villagers mimicked his success, giving rise to better yields.

Keeping his eyes on the land and market, he is always open to trying new varieties and expands the good ones. Thus, he is not only a good planter, but also the backbone of the village and close friends with other villagers.

Tang is known as the "grape broker" because he doesn't just have a flair for growing grapes, he is also skilled at selling them.

It has been 20 years since he took the initiative to contact buyers. Looking for orders is the thing he cares most about when the grapes are about to ripen. Tang said: "I have regarded 'broker' as my formal work. I know most buyers in Turpan.” In 2014, more than half the grapes the village sold were sold through Tang.

Being the "broker" for so many years, Tang not only has a wide range of export channels, but also became the person villagers trust most. "Sometimes the villagers do not know the market. I negotiate with buyers to avoid incurring a loss for them," Tang said. "The villagers won't be worried about not getting the money from buyers as long as I am here”.

He insists on selling table grapes, rather than raisins, which are difficult to plant but bring higher profits. He often talks to villagers and encourages them to grow grapes. Driven by the "broker", most villagers have started to sell fresh grapes.

The village business always keeps Tang busy but it gives him tremendous satisfaction to see grapes growing even better than before.

"This year's grape production won't be less than 3 tons per acre," he said with a big smile, pointing to the potential harvest along the road.