Black wheat prices catch up with pork prices: Shandong growers are beaming

On the morning of June 26, looking at the black wheat promising a bumper harvest, Li Chunxiang, head of the Haoxinyuan Grain and Vegetable Specialized Cooperative in Wanjia Town, Pingdu, Shandong, felt an indescribable joy. "For this black wheat, the price at which we buy from cooperative members is about two yuan per jin. After processing, a 500-gram package of black wheat sells for more than ten yuan, close to the current price of a jin of pork," Li Chunxiang told reporters.

At the black wheat planting base of the Haoxinyuan Grain and Vegetable Specialized Cooperative, reporters found the golden wheat with uniform plant height and every ear plump. At first glance, it looked no different from other wheat. Li Chunxiang smiled and pulled off a few wheat ears, rubbed away the husks, and plump black grains appeared before their eyes.

Li Chunxiang told reporters that last year, after several field visits, the cooperative introduced new black, green and colored organic wheat varieties and promoted them across more than 500 mu in surrounding villages. The cooperative is responsible for technical guidance throughout the process, and members only need to plant according to technical requirements. After harvest, the cooperative buys it back at a price double that of ordinary wheat per jin, so growers need not worry about sales at all. Chen Minggang, a grower from Houchenjia Village, said that one mu of black wheat can bring in more than 300 yuan more than ordinary wheat.

It is understood that the trace elements in black wheat, such as iron, zinc, calcium and selenium, are all higher than those in ordinary wheat, and foods made from its flour and bran are very popular in the market.