Shiqian County, Guizhou: Shiitake mushroom industry helps surrounding farmers escape poverty and become prosperous

Shiitake mushrooms are delicious and nutritious, a nourishing side dish on ordinary people's dining tables, the world's second-largest edible fungus, and long known among the people as a “treasure of the mountains.” Recently, reporters came to the edible fungus professional cooperative demonstration area at the foot of Mount Foding - Shiqian County Foxing Nutritional Health Food Development Co., Ltd. - located in China's famous “hometown of hot springs,” “hometown of mineral water” and “hometown of longevity in China.” Rows of greenhouses piled full of mushroom sticks presented a distinctive scene amid the surrounding mountains.

According to Tao Fangyuan, in recent years, under the guidance and support of governments at all levels, the company has expanded its planting scale. Guided by the development approach proposed by the Shiqian County government - “make good use of the mountains, write a good essay on water, and play the ecological card well” - and with the aim of promoting human health, developing green food and growing high-end vegetables, it has adopted the business model of company + cooperative, cooperative + farmers. At present, it has 500 mu of pollution-free, contamination-free shiitake mushroom breeding demonstration base, with an annual production of more than 2 million sticks, helping 500 surrounding farming households escape poverty and become prosperous.

Tao Fangyuan said that compared with the common oyster mushroom, shiitake mushroom cultivation is relatively more complicated. During the cultivation of mushroom sticks, temperature and time must be strictly controlled to prevent the breeding of contaminating bacteria, and shiitake mushrooms also have relatively high requirements for environmental humidity and temperature during growth, so special care is needed in the planting and management process. In order to make shiitake mushroom cultivation modern and large-scale, the cooperative has built a laboratory and introduced liquid inoculation machines, solid inoculation machines and an automated mushroom stick production line. Speaking of the nutritional and economic value of shiitake mushrooms, Tao Fangyuan told reporters that shiitake mushrooms are the world's second-largest edible fungus and have long been known among the people as a “treasure of the mountains.” In particular, the shiitake mushrooms grown in Shiqian, the “hometown of longevity,” have long been praised as “little reishi.” They contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, can enhance the human body's immune function, have anti-cancer effects, and also play a great role in promoting human metabolism and improving the body's adaptability. Tao Fangyuan said that because of Shiqian's geographical location and unique climate, the trace elements and nutritional components of the shiitake mushrooms grown here exceed those of other regions.

It is understood that Shiqian County Foxing Nutritional Health Food Development Co., Ltd. in Guizhou Province is located in China's famous “hometown of hot springs,” “hometown of mineral water” and “hometown of longevity in China.” In recent years, with the support of governments at all levels, it has now developed into a municipal-level nutritional health food demonstration park and a municipal-level leading enterprise in poverty alleviation.