Rural areas reap benefits of vitalization (4)

Huichang is an important base for the new fluorine salt material industry. ZHU HAIPENG/FOR CHINA DAILY

Technology updated

Relying on these rich mineral resources, the formerly State-owned Jiangxi Jiuer Salt Industry Co in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, has continuously updated its technology and extended its industrial chain since restructuring to promote rural vitalization.

The company's fluorine and salt chemical industrial base is situated in Huichang. Its predecessor was founded in 1970 after rock salt mines were discovered in Zhoutian township, Huichang. Jiangxi Jiuer Salt Industry Co was founded to develop these resources.

As a designated national salt production company, it is also involved in the comprehensive development of salt-related chemical industries.

As traditional salt production technology had difficulty meeting the needs of large-scale and refined output, and also caused pollution, the company struggled to make revenue in 2004.

The following year, the company was reformed. It raised 270 million yuan to launch a vacuum salt production project, which adopted an advanced salt-making technology and control system to improve output and the quality of salt.

In 2014, the company became the holding subsidiary of the listed Snowsky Salt Industry Group. Since then, it has continuously expanded the salt chemical industry chain. It has also completed and launched caustic soda, hydrogen peroxide and cogeneration projects. Cogeneration is basically the production of energy and usable heat－generally in the form of steam and hot water－in the same plant.

At the end of last year, the company had 642 employees and revenue of 627 million yuan.

Its chairman, Yang Lishu, said: "Overall development momentum in the salt chemical industry is very good. Relying on the salt mines in Huichang, where proven rock salt deposits amount to 1.9 billion tons, dozens of enterprises have arrived at the county's chemical industry park to form an industrial chain, saving companies a significant amount in costs and making their products more competitive.

"Provincial, municipal and county governments have given strong support to the development of the industry in all respects, and we clearly sense that the business environment in Jiangxi is rapidly improving. Even during the COVID-19 epidemic, production at our company was not disrupted."

Promoting output at the industrial park and offering a variety of channels to help rural residents find work are important parts of the rural vitalization strategy.

Yang Lishu said: "I think the best way to support relatively poor families during rural vitalization is to help each individual grow, and to offer proper jobs. Our company has continued to hire as many employees as possible, and 90 percent of them come from Huichang, which is a way to support local economic development."

He added that per capita income at the company was about 67,000 yuan last year, and if a family has one member working for the company, then the family's livelihood is basically guaranteed.

"After an enterprise achieves a certain scale, its social responsibility increases, and we will also make every effort to promote local vitalization," Yang added.