Yu Zhu (radix polygonati officinalis) is ripe at the base of Shigu Village, Tangdong Subdistrict, Zixing City. Zhong Honglin, head of the base, guided local villagers to harvest them on October 31.

The 18-mu (1.2 hectares) Yu Zhu ushered in a bumper harvest this year. Zhong Honglin had run a company, worked as a truck driver, and engaged in various industries before he returned to his hometown to start a business.

In 2023, he made a special trip to other counties for study, introduced high-quality seedlings for trial planting on 10-mu (0.67 hectares) land and achieved success, verifying the economic value of the Yu Zhu industry.

As a traditional Chinese medicinal material that can be used both as medicine and food, there is a stable market demand for Yu Zhu. The base has established stable cooperation with professional planting companies in other counties based on a linkage mechanism involving base, company and farmers. The professional planting companies guarantee the purchase and provide technical guidance, effectively ensuring the sales channels of products.

“The demand for Yu Zhu in the market is currently very large, and our products are good,” Zhang Honglin said. The Yu Zhu in the base is large, plum and of good color, with good selling prices.

The industrial development are benefiting local villagers. The base pays land transfer fees every year and provides employment opportunities for local left-behind villagers all year round, ranging from 10 to 70 people. Villagers who participate in planting, harvesting and other work can earn up to 2,000 to 3,000 yuan per month, truly helping them increase income at their doorstep.

“Next year, we will expand the planting by 20 mu (1.33 hectares), allowing more villagers to work here and earn money,” Zhang Honglin said confidently about future development.

The Yu Zhu base with a bountiful harvest serves as a vivid demonstration of how characteristic industries can drive rural revitalization. With the continuous improvement of the industrial chain, the Yu Zhu industry is expected to become a new engine for local economic development and inject new impetus into rural revitalization.

Chinese source: rednet