Featured Edible Fungi Becoming an Umbrella for Rural Prosperity

    During the rainy season, in Nuochong Village, Xiongjiachang Town, Zhijin County, Guizhou Province, more than 70 villagers are under the guidance of Lei Enchang, a technical consultant of the Yutianhe Farmers Professional Planting Cooperative in the town, clearing dead branches and leaves, loosening the soil and forming ridges, planting bacterial strains, and arching and covering films under the forest. Lei Enchang introduced that the cooperative adopts a simulated wild method to plant bamboo fungus, which can not only leverage the advantages of local forest resources, ensure the quality of bamboo fungus, but also improve the level of forest care.
    In recent years, Nuochong Village has actively developed the edible mushroom industry mainly based on bamboo fungus, promoting the increase of farmers' income. Lei Jiahu, Secretary of the Party Branch of Nuochong Village, said that the current bamboo fungus planting area in the village exceeds 300 acres, with an average labor cost of 12000 yuan per acre of bamboo fungus.
    To solidly promote rural revitalization, Zhijin County has taken the edible mushroom industry as the leading industry according to local conditions. According to Gao Yi, a staff member of the edible mushroom special team in the county, the forest coverage rate in the entire county is as high as 65%, with over 250000 acres of forest land available for the development of edible mushrooms; Meanwhile, the local cultivation of edible mushrooms has a long history and a good technical foundation. According to statistics, in 2023, Zhijin County planted 38000 mu of edible mushrooms, produced 100000 tons of fresh products annually, and achieved a comprehensive output value of 2.2 billion yuan.
    Based on the characteristics of climate, water source, land and other resources, as well as market demand, Zhijin County has created three 10000 acre edible mushroom industrial belts according to the altitude. As of the end of last year, the county has established 21 anti seasonal mushroom cultivation demonstration bases, 32 characteristic rare edible mushroom demonstration bases, and 29 bulk edible mushroom demonstration bases, with a focus on developing varieties such as bamboo fungus, shiitake mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, black fungus, and morel.
    Centered around who will plant, Zhijin County plays a guiding role in the allocation of financial funds, integrating various forces to jointly develop edible mushrooms. On the one hand, a professional company has been established to develop the bamboo fungus industry. Currently, a bamboo fungus technology innovation industrial park has been established, exploring and promoting high-yield three-dimensional cultivation of bamboo fungus, greenhouse facility cultivation, understory cultivation and other planting technologies, and engaging in the research and cultivation of liquid and solid bacterial strains; On the other hand, we are exploring and promoting cooperation models such as "borrowing bags to return mushrooms - purchasing at a guaranteed price", "labor investment - guaranteed dividends", "building sheds and renting back - ensuring profits", and "farmer participation - government interest subsidies". In 2023, we have driven a total of 3652 households and 13680 people in the county to participate in the development of the edible mushroom industry, with an average household income increase of about 16000 yuan.
    Focusing on what to sell, Zhijin County has promoted the development of the edible mushroom industry as a group, built multiple high standard processing and production lines, developed high value-added products such as health products and high-end food and beverages using edible mushrooms as raw materials, extended the industrial chain, and enhanced the value chain.
   The reporter saw in the product display room of Guizhou Linong Biopharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. that various edible mushroom derived products such as mushroom soup bags, probiotic oral liquid, shampoo, etc. were displayed. The company's general manager, Chen Guosong, introduced that the products are mainly divided into three series: agricultural products, washing and care products, and health products, with a total of more than 20 products.
    Nowadays, the variety of bamboo fungus products in Zhijin County is becoming increasingly diverse, and their sales channels are becoming wider and wider. Edible mushrooms are growing one after another as a "wealth umbrella" for consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation and solidly promoting rural revitaliza。