Demobilized soldiers plant Chinese chives with villagers in Puding county, Guizhou province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Anshun city in Southwest China's Guizhou province has taken the lead in establishing a practice center, in a bid to select grass-roots cadres among demobilized soldiers to promote rural entrepreneurship, industrial development and poverty alleviation.

Once a remote poverty-stricken region, Anshun used to be in need of talents who can lead rural residents out of poverty.

"Demobilized soldiers with valuable qualities such as commitment to work can support the development of the city," said Liu Tong, head of organizational department of the CPC Anshun Municipal Committee.

Since 2018, Anshun has selected 479 outstanding individuals from more than 12,000 veterans to serve as grass-roots cadres like village Party secretaries and directors. In addition, the center helps to organize lectures and technical trainings, and to boost project cooperation.

According to Liu, the center provides online services for veterans through new media platforms.

"A total of 216 experts held online lessons in more than 50 subjects covering knowledge of agriculture, forestry and industry. Veterans are able to choose speakers as well as lecture time and date," he added.

Hu Bo, Party secretary of Huaxin village in Puding county, is one of the selected veterans.

In order to change the single agricultural structure in the mountainous village, Hu encouraged local residents to plant jiuhuang, or Chinese chives, which has high-yield and high-quality than those grown in plain areas.

Soon afterward, the chives were planted widely across the village's 6,300 mu (420 hectares) of cultivated land. A professional agricultural science and technology company was founded to ensure the production and marketing, providing job opportunities and dividends to villagers.

Statistics show that more than 350 impoverished households in Huaxin have increased their incomes thanks to the development of chives farming. Last year, the per capita disposable income of the village has exceeded 10,000 yuan ($1,454), higher than villages nearby.

To date, demobilized soldiers in Anshun have innovated 120 economic cooperation or companies, helping 139 poor villages lift out of the poverty level.

Zhao Yandi contributed to this story