A laugh is shared during the picking of jack beans. [Photo/CFP]

The Yonghe Vegetable Cooperative in Nanyang town, Qidong, has significantly expanded its operations.

The cooperative operates a 133.33-hectare planting base, two edamame shelling production lines, and a cauliflower processing workshop. Additionally, it has established a 60-hectare pea base in Baoshan, Yunnan, and an edamame processing line in Xinyi, Xuzhou. Yonghe has also formed long-term partnerships with three vegetable exporters as well as e-commerce platforms like Douyin, Hema, and Dingdong.

In 2023, the cooperative purchased over 20,000 metric tons of various vegetables, including edamame, jack beans, peas, cauliflowers, and spinach, and paid annual wages of over 3.5 million yuan ($482,451.85) to 130 local workers.

Hu Jiandong, the chairman of the cooperative, initially leased 3.33 hectares of land in his hometown of Beiqinghe village to grow popular crops like edamame, peas, and cauliflowers. His success led to continual expansion, reaching over 133.33 hectares by 2014.

Facing limited local demand and increasing competition, Hu turned his attention to international markets. Since 2015, he has partnered with a foreign trade company in Fujian to export vegetables overseas, broadening the cooperative's reach and impact.