In an interview, Zeng Panchi, a former soldier and now a local expert in agricultural machinery, shared his journey from military service to becoming a leader in rural development in Xin’an Village, Long’an County, Liuzhou, Guangxi.
It’s mid-autumn, and the golden fields are ready for harvest. Zeng, the chairman of the Fanchao Agricultural Machinery Cooperative, was seen inspecting the ripeness of the rice in the fields, having recently been listed as one of the “local experts” in agricultural machinery for 2024.
Reflecting on his childhood, Zeng recalled standing by the field at just 9 years old, mesmerized as he watched his father plow the land with a tiller—a moment that left a deep imprint on him. After enlisting in the military in 2009, Zeng earned multiple honors, including third-class merit and accolades for being an outstanding soldier. Upon returning home in 2014, he found the family’s farming equipment in disrepair and decided to invest in a track-type tractor. That same year, he founded the cooperative, determined to carve out a niche in the agricultural machinery sector.
To overcome his limited agricultural knowledge, Zeng took advantage of resources like the China Agricultural Technology Promotion app, where he accessed “machinery classes” on his phone. He also actively participated in various agricultural machinery expos, consistently expanding his understanding.
His dedication paid off in 2022 when he competed in the Guangxi Agricultural Skills Competition, earning the titles of “Guangxi Skilled Craftsman” and “Ba Gui Farmer,” alongside securing first place in the machinery repair category. He went on to achieve the 13th position in the national agricultural competition in 2022 and was awarded the “National Agricultural Technical Ability” title in 2023, as well as the Guangxi May Day Labor Medal.
Determined to share his knowledge, Zeng provided free training for eight machinery operators from Liuzhou preparing for the upcoming Guangxi Agricultural Skills Competition. Pan Xinmiao, deputy director of the Liuzhou Agricultural Machinery Center, noted, “The night before the competition, he diligently explained the key aspects of machinery repair, resulting in the Liuzhou team winning first place in the group competition, with two individual operators placing in the top three.”
Zeng emphasized the importance of practical learning, saying, “When planting kumquats, we need to dig proper drainage ditches; for passion fruits, we must create ridges; and while cultivating rice, we must ensure that the machinery does not break the water retention layer.” He mentioned that he continuously reflects on his experiences and values the feedback from local farmers.
To bolster the cooperative’s income, he leads members to regions like Hainan, Zhejiang, and cities within Guangxi, such as Yulin and Guigang, for seasonal jobs that include rice harvesting and pest control.
Over six years, the cooperative has flourished, achieving annual service income of 2.3 million yuan with a diverse fleet of 39 agricultural machines. They have established a small rice seedling factory, a seedling mechanization production line, and facilities for germination control, grain drying, equipment repair, and steel-framework greenhouses.
Under the guidance of higher agricultural machinery authorities, Zeng’s cooperative has taken on projects to promote full mechanical rice production, serving as a hub for testing new machinery, technology promotion, training, and development—thus extending the rice industry chain and improving production efficiency.
Today, Zeng aims to enhance the cooperative further, helping more villagers increase their income and contributing to rural revitalization. As he put it, “The mechanization of rice production is on the right track, and in the future, I plan to expand our scale while shifting focus to providing socialized machinery services, ensuring that local farmers can thrive.”
