THIS IS THE TIME of year when many of China's estimated 114 million migrant workers return home to help with the autumn harvest. But this year the exodus from the Pearl River Delta began months ago, and has less to do with ripening crops than with the growing number of employment opportunities closer to home.
Spurred by improved infrastructure links, manufacturers are shunning spiralling energy, land and labour costs in China's coastal regions to set up factories inland. For many migrant workers, returning home no longer means returning to work on the farm.
Jiangxi is one province benefiting from manufacturers' expansion beyond the PRD's established industrial zones.
Transporting goods to China's southern ports from the province previously required several days, but a new expressway will cut journey times from the provincial capital of Nanchang to Shenzhen to just 10 hours from next year.
Jiangxi can now market itself as a viable link between the Pearl and Yangtze river deltas, and manufacturers are responding. Jiangxi's GDP grew 13 per cent last year on the back of strong investment growth.
Top Form International, the world's largest contract manufacturer of brassieres, is one company making its mark in the province. Eager to boost mainland production after export quotas governed by the Multi-fibre Agreement expire next year, the company chose to double its workforce in Jiangxi rather than Guangdong factories due to labour shortages and rising production costs there.