The Bletilla striata king attracts a golden phoenix and leads villagers to prosperity

Bletilla striata flowers look like dancing phoenixes, very beautiful.

The Bletilla striata seedlings planted this year have already sprouted new roots, and Xu Qifang now has confidence.

Located on the Ziwu Ancient Road, Yingfeng Town in Shiquan County, Ankang City, Shaanxi Province, has abundant land resources and well-preserved original natural scenery. Historically it was an important commercial post station, but with the rapid development of modern transportation and information, Yingfeng, being relatively far from the county seat, was gradually marginalized. To break through the constraints and find a way forward, a post-70s beauty from Wutong Village in the town dared to think and act, investing nearly a million yuan to develop Bletilla striata and other Chinese medicinal herb industries, taking the counterattack path from urban elite to rural mud-legged farmer.

Bletilla striata is an expensive and precious Chinese medicinal herb. Wild resources are extremely scarce, and artificial propagation has only recently entered an exploratory stage in recent years. Because seedlings are relatively expensive and Bletilla striata has high requirements for the growing environment, few people dare to plant it. Xu Qifang previously ran a medicine business and is extremely optimistic about the market prospects of Bletilla striata.

In 2015, after extensive investigation, Xu Qifang resolutely gave up her comfortable life in the city and returned to her hometown Wutong Village to develop Bletilla striata planting. She successively transferred more than 60 mu of land and invested nearly a million yuan. Under her careful management, the Bletilla striata everywhere grew well.

Because Bletilla striata flowers resemble dancing phoenixes and are very beautiful when blooming, Xu Qifang often calls her beloved plant the "golden phoenix." But in the eyes of the villagers, this little bird who flew out of Wutong Village is more like a "golden phoenix," and now she has flown back.

Why return to Wutong Village to develop? Xu Qifang said: "I originally walked out of the mountains from here, and the mountains and rivers here raised me. Now that I am back, it is not only for my own development. I also want to bring in good projects so that the villagers can get rich together with me." In 2016, under Xu Qifang's leadership, in Wutong Village and Sanguanmiao Village, a total of 6 households were driven to plant Bletilla striata, with demonstration planting of more than 20 mu, and in the neighboring Xinzhuang Village, more than 40 households developed Astragalus planting, with demonstration planting of more than 80 mu.

Xu Qifang calculated an economic account for us: Bletilla striata can generally be harvested after 3 years of planting, with a yield of up to 2000 jin per mu. Calculated at the current market price of 60 yuan, the output value per mu can reach 120,000 yuan. The more than 60 mu of Bletilla striata she planted will reach an output value of 8 million yuan. Astragalus planting, however, requires little investment and shows quick results. It can be harvested in the same year it is planted, and the output value per mu can reach more than 3,500 yuan, making it very suitable for poor households to plant.

At present, Xu Qifang has applied for a family farm, registered and established Shiquan Quanfeng Bencao Planting Co., Ltd., and signed product purchase and sales contracts with several pharmaceutical companies. Next, she will begin organizing the Wutong Village Chinese Medicinal Herb Planting Cooperative. She wants to lead more villagers, especially poor households, to prosperity.