How much is Tiepi Shihu (Dendrobium officinale) per jin on the market?

There are many kinds of Shihu (Dendrobium) on the market, and most of them claim to be Huo Shihu or call themselves Tiepi Fengdou. In fact, only the highest-quality Huoshan Shihu is called Tiepi Fengdou, and its price is over ten yuan per gram, or even more expensive. Slightly lower quality ones include Earring Shihu, and even lower is Jinchai Shihu, but these are still quite expensive, generally ranging from one to several yuan per gram. Many products on Taobao that are called Tiepi Fengdou but are very cheap are generally not authentic Tiepi Fengdou. If you want to buy some, there are only two places where you can buy authentic and trustworthy products: one is Tongrentang (the most expensive), and the other is Fu Lin Men Tiepi Shihu (an old brand, relatively affordable).

Tiepi Shihu price

Shihu is commonly known among the people as "immortal grass," and wild Shihu has long been listed as an endangered plant. Because of its tremendous health-preserving and health-care functions, it has always been highly sought after. The purchase price of fresh stems of Tiepi Shihu is mostly above about 1000 yuan/kg. Recently, because the large-scale harvest period has passed, the price of fresh stems of Tiepi Shihu has even exceeded 1200 yuan/kg. In the past two years, the price of Tiepi Shihu has also continued to show an upward trend. In 2012, the purchase price per kg of Tiepi Shihu was 8000 yuan, and by 2013 it had risen to 9000-1200 yuan/kg, and this year such a price has achieved an almost complete victory among all agricultural products.

Average price of Tiepi Shihu

1. Fresh stems of Tiepi Shihu: 2500-3000 yuan per kg.

2. Premium Tiepi Fengdou: 16-20 yuan per gram.

3. High-grade Tiepi Fengdou: 14-18 yuan per gram.

Tiepi Shihu market prospects

According to industry insiders, under normal circumstances, one mu of Tiepi Shihu land can harvest 300-500 kg of fresh Shihu stems. At this year's price, the output value of fresh stems per mu is 240,000-400,000 yuan. In addition, each mu of land can also produce one kg of Shihu flowers, priced at 10,000 yuan/kg.

It is understood that the cost input for planting one mu of Shihu is about 100,000-200,000 yuan. Setting aside other risk factors, the output value per mu is at least more than 150,000 yuan. Based on such an input-output ratio, it is indeed reasonable that Tiepi Shihu is called a “money tree.”

According to market surveys, by 2012, the Shihu planting area in Yunnan Province as a whole will reach 4 million sq m, and the overall output value will reach 400 million yuan. By 2015, Yunnan Province's Shihu industry is estimated to exceed 10 billion yuan (including investment by enterprises from other provinces in Yunnan).

Factors determining the price of Tiepi Shihu

1. Color: The price of Tiepi Shihu is related to its appearance and color. The dried product processed from Tiepi Shihu is often made into curled clusters called Tiepi Fengdou. Tiepi Shihu mainly grows in high mountains, on steep cliffs and in rock crevices, or on tall trees. It is a rare and endangered plant under national key second-class protection. It gets its name because its epidermis is iron-green in color. Therefore, the more iron-green the appearance and color of Tiepi Shihu look, the higher the price will naturally be;

2. Content: At present, the best Tiepi Shihu is the one with high mucilage content that feels sticky to the mouth and teeth when chewed. Shihu with high polysaccharide content has a better tonic effect. Therefore, when selecting Tiepi Shihu, carefully confirm the polysaccharide content of the Shihu.

3. Specification: The larger the Tiepi Shihu, the smaller the quantity, and things are precious when they are rare. The medicinal part of Tiepi Shihu is the stem, and its quality is judged as follows: few fibers and rich in mucilage. Therefore, the thicker the Tiepi Shihu stem, the higher the price. There are many kinds of Shihu on the market. To choose Shihu, you should check its color, observe its shape, smell its scent, and chew its gelatinous substance. The one with iron-skin color is the best. Because the output of Tiepi Shihu is limited and the price is expensive, the market is flooded with large amounts of Tiepi Shihu passed off as water grass, especially in pharmacies. Only a few authentic Tiepi Shihu products exist, such as Fu Lin Men Tiepi Shihu and Tongrentang, and other large brands, where you can buy genuine Tiepi Shihu.

How to identify Tiepi Fengdou

1. Look: When identifying whether Tiepi Fengdou is genuine, we can first look at it. For Shihu that has been processed and shaped, there will be a layer of fine hairs, which is formed after the epidermal fibers of its stems are dried. Second, its shape and workmanship should be fine, its size should be uniform, and the granules should be relatively plump. Now let's talk about its color: because the genuine Fengdou contains relatively high sugar content, its color will be somewhat darker and appear yellow-green. If it has been treated with wax, there will be a reflective phenomenon. And Shihu rubbed with newspaper ash can be detected by hand, leaving gray marks on the fingers.

2. Smell: Next, you can also use your nose. Take one piece, place it near your nose, and smell its scent. Genuine Fengdou will give off a faint grassy fragrance rather than other peculiar odors. This is because when processing Shihu, it is slowly roasted over charcoal fire, and after kneading, it is rolled into a spring-like shape to become the final form. Therefore, if what you smell is a strange odor, it is very likely not Tiepi Fengdou.