Mulberries Turn into Money Trees: 60 yuan per jin, over 100,000 yuan per mu
When it comes to mulberries, anyone who grew up in the countryside knows that during mulberry season, they would climb the mulberry trees almost every day to pick mulberries to eat. Nowadays, this tiny mulberry has become a "money tree" for villagers to increase their income and get rich. Villagers of Hemutun Village, Jiaobei Subdistrict Office, Jiaozhou City, introduced mulberries from Laiyang and planted them in winter-warm greenhouses. Because the picking period hits the market before greenhouse cherries and nectarines, one jin sells for a high price of 60 yuan, and each mu of greenhouse brings in over 100,000 yuan.
Surprise: Greenhouse Introduction of Mulberries Succeeds
A reporter saw in Sun Fulun's mulberry planting greenhouse in Hemutun Village that among the thick green leaves, black or red mulberries hung all over the branches, each one "plump," making one's mouth water, and one could not resist reaching out to pick one and taste it, sour with a hint of sweetness, suddenly reminding one of the taste of childhood. "At a gathering of friends, I learned that someone was growing mulberries in a greenhouse, which also let me find the business opportunity in it," Sun Fulun said. In the spring of 2012, he went to Laiyang to visit relatives and saw that local people were growing mulberries in greenhouses, and the price for picking inside the greenhouse was not cheap either. Thinking that he had several greenhouses at home and was worrying about what crops to plant, he decided on the spot to introduce mulberries back.
Afterward, at a price of 17 yuan per plant, he bought four or five hundred mulberry saplings from the local area and took them back to plant in winter-warm greenhouses. Because he had no management experience, he went to the forestry department to find experts and checked information online. These mulberry trees began to bear fruit the second year, and this year they once again ushered in a peak fruiting period.
High Price: Small Mulberries Become a "Noble Fruit"
"Because the picking period of greenhouse mulberries hits the market before greenhouse nectarines and cherries, the price is naturally much higher, with each jin of mulberries selling for a high price of 60 yuan." Sun Fulun said that generally speaking, mulberries only ripen in May, and transplanting mulberries into winter-warm greenhouses can make them ripen one month earlier. After the Spring Festival each year, greenhouse strawberries can be picked and remain on the market for more than two months. Residents no longer find greenhouse strawberries novel, and at this time fruits such as greenhouse cherries and nectarines are not yet ripe. The mulberries grown in his greenhouse happened to fill this picking gap. He also had another idea in growing greenhouse mulberries: many people had the experience of climbing mulberry trees to pick mulberries when they were children, and he wanted to let residents find the memories of childhood again through mulberry picking. Once mulberries had a selling point, they naturally attracted residents to come and pick them, so it was not surprising that each jin sold for a high price of 60 yuan.
Plan: Expand Planting to Lead Villagers to Get Rich
"The planting benefits of greenhouse mulberries are very good. There is no need to sell them at the market at all; they can be sold through tourists picking them, and each mu can bring in at least over 100,000 yuan," Sun Fulun said. The picking period of greenhouse mulberries is relatively short, lasting only about 25 days. Each mu can produce about three to four thousand jin of mulberries. Calculated at a selling price of 60 yuan per jin, each mu of greenhouse brings in about 200,000 yuan in income. After deducting costs such as fertilizer, management, film and labor, each greenhouse can bring in at least over 100,000 yuan.
Sun Fulun said that waste during mulberry picking is particularly serious. Sometimes with just a slight touch, the mulberries fall to the ground. During the picking period, sometimes when it rains, mulberries will fall all over the ground. To solve these problems, he washed and dried the mulberries that fell to the ground, then made them into mulberry wine, which can sell for hundreds of yuan per jin. Sun Fujun, secretary of Hemutun Village, said that at present the whole village has nearly a hundred winter-warm greenhouses and has already introduced fruits such as dragon fruit, papaya and kiwifruit. The planting benefits of greenhouse mulberries are very considerable. In the next step, villagers will be guided to grow mulberries so that more villagers can get rich along with them. The picking period is expected to continue until late April.