Turn white rabbit to 'gold'

Yang takes care of his rex rabbits at the breeding base on June 1, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

Yang Tianming, 28, an owner of a private enterprise, runs a rex rabbit breeding cooperative and owns 20 mu breeding area in Northwest China Qinghai province.

Yang moved to a village of the Tibetan Nationality autonomous prefecture in Qianghai province with his elder generation in 1987 in response to the country's call for relocation for the Longyang Gorge Hydropower Station construction.

For years, local villagers' income had been low because of undeveloped production, inefficient operation and management. The economical situation turned better after Ministry of Science and Technology and National Development and Reform Commission launched a sustainable developing test region in his new hometown in 2011. Yang seized this opportunity and raised 1 million by selling his advertisement company and Tibetan Mastiff breeding base. He invested the fund in the first rex rabbit breeding base in the region.

Yang adopted a new operation mode: cooperative and individual breeding. He raised rex rabbits at the base and at the same time asked the farmers to raise them at home. And he provided baby rabbits, forages, epidemic prevention, sales and other benefits to farmers, leading them to earn more.

Yan Tianming (middle) leads trainees from a Qinghai's Veterinary College to take breeding record. Photo taken on June 1, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]