Local Snacks Revitalize a Rural Town in Northern Anhui, Bringing Homes and Hopes Together

As the morning light spreads over the Northern Anhui Plain, the air in Fangji Town, Funan County, Fuyang City is filled with the aroma of oil. On the production lines of local food factories, golden twisted dough sticks (mahua) roll off continuously, and after being skillfully packed by workers, they are ready to be sent to all parts of the country. Once a major labor-exporting county, Funan has turned its rural advantages into a driving force for development through characteristic food industries, according to People’s Network Anhui Channel.

In the past, a large number of young and middle-aged laborers left Funan to work in cities, leaving the town facing a "hollowing-out" problem. The turning point came with the exploration and industrialization of local characteristic resources. Taking traditional local snacks such as mahua and sanzi (fried dough twists) as the main products, a group of returning entrepreneurs led their villagers to develop family workshops into modern food enterprises.

"My brother and I went to work in Zhejiang at the age of 15. Seeing the development there, I always wanted to do something for my hometown," recalled Xu Xinxin, person in charge of Anhui Mingkang Food Co., Ltd. Starting from a family workshop, they expanded to large-scale production of local specialty foods, and later recruited more workers. Most of the employees are local women who need to take care of the elderly and children, gaining stable income at their doorsteps.

Lv Junhui, person in charge of Funan Fangji Lv’s Sanzi Industry Co., Ltd., said, "We produce high-quality flour, rapeseed oil and sesame here, making sanzi that are thin, fragrant and tasty." Seventy percent of his company’s employees are left-behind women and 20 percent are returning young people. "The enterprise brings not only income, but also reunion at home. A family being together gives life hope," he sighed.

External support has further expanded the industrial space. In January 2022, Anhui Province selected 20 provincial enterprises to pair up and help 20 underdeveloped towns. Anhui Transportation Holding Group Co., Ltd. was paired with Fangji Town, bringing new opportunities to Anhui Mingkang Food Co., Ltd. By virtue of its highway service area stores and convenience stores, the group has helped local specialty products enter urban markets.

The person in charge of Anhui Jiaokong Yida Group introduced that through carriers such as "Wanmei Agricultural Products" stores in service areas, it has driven the sales of northern Anhui agricultural and sideline products by about 100 million yuan, putting Fangji’s mahua and sanzi on the fast track to the whole country. Improved transportation has also boosted development—with several highways opened in Funan, the drive from Fangji Town to Fuyang urban area has been shortened from 90 to 40 minutes.

To promote long-term development, the local government is building a characteristic food industrial park to address the previous "small and scattered" situation. "The first phase of the park covers 10 hectares, with supporting exhibition, reception and experience centers," said Li Xiangyao, mayor of Fangji Town. With policy support from Anhui Province, which focuses on cultivating green food clusters, Fangji’s characteristic food industry is thriving, bringing back talents and reviving the countryside.