How should Gastrodia elata production develop? An analysis of development ideas and countermeasures

1. Current market conditions. Because the Gastrodia elata cultivation area increased substantially in the previous two years, and because cultivation techniques improved, total Gastrodia elata output has more than doubled compared with 3 years ago; in the Gastrodia elata production and sales market, on the one hand output has risen sharply, but on the other hand, because the increase in processing for medicinal use (patent medicines) has been relatively small, the market is currently in a sluggish state. The Gastrodia elata market is similar to other traditional Chinese medicinal herb markets, generally with a "market cycle" of 3-5 years, so waiting until the Gastrodia elata market picks up before carrying out sexual breeding is not feasible; if even the seed tubers are disposed of now, and planting is resumed only when the market recovers, then the commercial Gastrodia elata produced will in turn run into a market downturn.

In addition, as a health food, Gastrodia elata has only just begun to form a hot price and hot sales trend, while as a pure food, it has only just entered hotels and restaurants and has not yet fully entered household consumption. Therefore, the appropriate market decline is affected by the medicinal herb market; whether as a health food or a table food, Gastrodia elata is in a stage of "sunrise consumption," and is still growing.

2. Existing problems

1. New cultivation techniques have not been fully promoted. For example, with trench-style Gastrodia elata cultivation technology, producers who have mastered this technique can reach a yield level of up to 25 kg per sq m at best, while those who continue to use outdated techniques get only 10 kg or even lower yields.

2. Because of improper selection of fungal strains and seed tubers, or inadequate management, some Gastrodia elata growers have relatively low yields, which to a certain extent affects their enthusiasm for production.

3. Blindly listening and blindly believing. For example, before the Chinese New Year, some producers blindly believed the news that "the Gastrodia elata market is declining," stopped continuing production, and even dug up all the originally planted Gastrodia elata and disposed of it at low prices.

3. Market trends for Gastrodia elata

1. With deeper research into Gastrodia elata as a traditional Chinese medicine, more patent medicines will be put into production, and by then the amount of Gastrodia elata used in medicinal materials can be greatly increased.

2. Looking at the market trend of Gastrodia elata tea in the past two years, with the continuous emergence of new Gastrodia elata health food products, the amount of Gastrodia elata raw material used will be expanded to a considerable degree and scope.

3. Society is progressing and living standards are rising. As a food, Gastrodia elata will enter restaurants and household consumption on a larger scale in the future.

4. With the widespread application of traditional Chinese medicine abroad, Gastrodia elata exports will continue to increase.

4. Suggestions

1. Grasp the direction. Collect as much information as possible, and more importantly, analyze and use the information. Never let certain false messages and temporary phenomena "blind you to the bigger picture" and make you lose direction.

2. Persistence matters most. Even if the market is temporarily sluggish, you must persist. Once everything is lost, then developing again after the market recovers is often beyond reach; this can be called a lesson from experience.

3. Improve production techniques. If a yield of 10 kg of fresh Gastrodia elata per sq m yields 100 yuan in profit, then on the basis of improving cultivation techniques, strive for a yield of 20 kg, so that at least in quantity you win the market and obtain profit.

4. "Aim ahead" to win the market. It is suggested that fellow Gastrodia elata growers, while maintaining existing cultivation, should persist in sexual breeding starting this year. Perhaps when Gastrodia elata becomes scarce again next year or the year after, you can easily make a tidy sum with these sexually bred seed tubers!