Farmers return to roots to reap profits

Speciality agricultural products consolidate benefits from poverty-alleviation programme. Zhao Yimeng reports

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Since China began its push to eliminate poverty decades ago, 832 counties across the country have managed to emerge prosperous.

One such is Yiliang, in the city of Zhaotong, Yunnan province, which has capitalised on the county's special agricultural products to further push economic growth and improve rural living standards.

Zhaotong ranks first in Yunnan in growing apples, bamboo, Gastrodia elata, an orchid-like plant used in traditional Chinese medicine, Sichuan peppers and potato seed tubers. Last year it produced agricultural products valued at more than 150 billion yuan ($21 billion), and this year the figure is forecast to reach 180 billion, local officials say.

Gastrodia elata in particular has blossomed into a pillar industry of the county.

In Baozang village of Yiliang, Jiang Qingkun, a farmer, has benefitted from the transformation. He used to need to work away from home, but he literally returned to his roots when the gastrodia industry began to flourish.

"We used to get about 7.5 (metric) tonnes a hectare, but now it's 26.2 tonnes, which can bring in 100,000 yuan," Jiang said, adding that the family's annual income now exceeds 1 million yuan.

Before 2020 local farmers relied on self-cultivated fungi for planting gastrodia, resulting in low yields and carrying high risks.

To overcome these challenges, Zhaotong established a comprehensive germplasm resource base for gastrodia, collaborating with research institutions to develop high-yield and stable varieties such as Zhaowuma No 1.

The city also attracted investment to establish standardised production facilities for the fungi needed to grow gastrodia, significantly boosting production capacity.