Forest geese farms in SW China fuel global badminton supply chain

1. A worker assembles badminton shuttlecocks at a factory in Jinping county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Yang Xiaohai)

2. A coach demonstrates proper racket grip technique at a badminton stadium in Jinping county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Yang Xiaohai)

Deep in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jinping county has transformed its vast forests into an unlikely economic powerhouse, combining badminton manufacturing with innovative goose farming.

The county, part of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, boasts 1.2 million square kilometers of forests and produces one in every 10 badminton shuttlecocks globally.

Local farmer Wu Hongqing expressed enthusiasm for raising geese in the forests. "The government provides goslings for free and assists in selling the geese. Last time, I received 250 goslings and made a profit of at least 13,000 yuan ($1,800) from the venture. This year, I plan to raise 1,000 goslings," Wu said.

The county launched its forest goose farming initiative in 2017, following successful trial runs with a new breed. Local authorities then developed policies to support goose breeding as a key industry.

According to Long Xinhai, head of the rural industrial service station under the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Jinping, the county government has integrated various funds and projects to introduce a breeding model involving leading enterprises, cooperatives and farming households. Under this model, leading enterprises supply goslings, feed and technical support, and purchase geese from farmers.

Shen Ruyong, deputy general manager of a local breeding company, credits their success to support from agricultural experts and technicians from the Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Since 2019, Jinping has invested 309 million yuan in the industry, establishing breeding bases, hatcheries and demonstration sites. This integrated approach has created a complete supply chain from breeding to commercial farming, increasing local incomes.

The county now produces 1 million geese annually, boosting income for 16,000 farming households.

Guizhou RSL Sports Culture Development Co. established operations in Jinping's Economic Development Zone several years ago. The company now produces 120,000 shuttlecocks daily, using feathers from 160,000 geese, and exports to more than 60 countries.

"The county government built the factory buildings in advance, helped organize recruitment, improved roads and other infrastructure, and provided us with a lot of support," said Hu Bing, production manager of Guizhou RSL Sports Culture Development Co., Ltd.

Starting with just a dozen employees, the company has expanded its workforce to more than 560 people. This year, the company anticipates that its output value will surpass 300 million yuan.

In recent years, Jinping has been vigorously developing its light industry, with a focus on badminton equipment. The county aims to attract top enterprises and establish distinctive regional industrial clusters.

"In addition to badminton and rackets, several related companies, including sportswear, sports socks, sports shoes, and sports bags, have set up shop in the industrial park. There are a total of 14 companies, with four of them being above designated size," said Ou Hanfa, deputy director of the Management Committee of the Economic Development Zone of Jinping. The county's goose industry has reached an annual output exceeding 1 billion yuan.

The county's success in racket production has led to new opportunities in sports tourism. Jinping now hosts the RSL badminton tournament series, drawing athletes from across the region.

Jinping has held more than 10 consecutive tournaments with over 2,000 participants, according to Fu Houhua, director of the county’s sports center.

These sporting events have enhanced Jinping's reputation in the badminton industry while boosting tourism. Since 2023, local tournaments have attracted more than 668,300 visitors to county attractions.

"Since 2019, badminton tournaments have generated over 239 million yuan in tourism revenue for the county," said an official from the Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism of Jinping.