Mushroom cultivation has broad prospects, helping villagers get on the road to prosperity
In Hongzhuang Village, whenever Zhang Chao, who grows wood ear mushrooms in the village, is mentioned, many villagers praise him endlessly. Not only has he become wealthy by growing wood ear mushrooms himself, but he also plans to lead everyone in growing them to escape poverty and achieve prosperity. On September 27, when the reporter asked to interview a skilled person who had found prosperity, the village officials were the first to recommend Zhang Chao. He is both a participant in the village's poverty alleviation work and a beneficiary of it.
Led by Zhang Chao, the reporter arrived at the wood ear mushroom cultivation base located in the southeast of the village. This wood ear mushroom cultivation base, covering more than 5,000 sq m, looks both neat and impressive, with bags of mushroom spawn arranged neatly in the workshop.
According to Zhang Chao, he was originally an ordinary electrician in his hometown of Luohe. Later, with the help of his family, he began growing wood ear mushrooms on a large scale. As the scale of cultivation expanded, Zhang Chao became well known for growing wood ear mushrooms. After hearing about Zhang Chao's project, in order to help villagers make their fortunes, the Hongzhuang Village committee and the township invited Zhang Chao and his team to start a business in Hongzhuang Village, growing wood ear mushrooms and other fungi.
As a local poverty alleviation project, the township and the village provided them with great help in terms of land use and daily life, and gave policy support. As the experimenter of this poverty alleviation project, once Zhang Chao achieves good results in growing wood ear mushrooms and fungi, it will be promoted throughout the village. At that time, they will operate in the form of company plus farmers' cooperative, and provide technical guidance to villagers. Villagers can grow and sell on their own, or have his company purchase the products. Villagers only need low costs to obtain high returns, and the village also hopes to help villagers escape poverty and become prosperous through this targeted poverty alleviation model.
According to Zhang Chao, he grows many kinds of wood ear mushrooms and fungi. One of them is called "jade wood ear", which is the latest scientific research achievement. Its functional components are higher than those of black wood ear, and it can sell for about 300 yuan per kg. This year their annual output reached nearly 8,000 kg, with annual income reaching more than 200,000 yuan. The products have already been exported to South Korea, and domestic demand is also gradually increasing.
Speaking of hisentrepreneurial project, Zhang Chao is very grateful for the poverty alleviation policies introduced by the state and the help provided by the local government. From March to August every year, he invites villagers to help at the base, giving villagers extra income during the slack farming season. He looks forward to growing wood ear mushrooms together with the villagers in the future and striving to get them on the road to prosperity as soon as possible.