Ancient Yellow River area empowers local agriculture

In recent years, Linqing, a county-level city administered by Liaocheng in East China's Shandong province, has utilized ancient mulberry trees to develop a featured industry.

Linqing, located in the ancient Yellow River area, boasts over 10,000 ancient mulberry trees that are over 300 years old. Sanghuang, or phellinus igniarius, grows on mulberry trees and boasts high nutrition and medical value.

Wang Rongxiang established an agricultural products cooperative in 2017 and explored a rotation planting of sanghuang and morchella, in which sanghuang is planted from late April to November, and morchella is planted from December to next April.

Gradually, more and more villagers joined in planting sanghuang and the cooperative has currently cultivated a sanghuang area of 1,100 mu (73.33 hectares).

At present, the cooperative cultivates 1,100 mu of sanghuang. [Photo by Zhang Zishui for chinadaily.com.cn]

In 2019, Wang Rongxiang devoted himself to promoting the popularity of sanghuang in Linqing, eventually having it compiled in an authoritative bibliography in the field.

Relying on the sanghuang industry, the cooperative has expanded the trial cultivation of precious edible and medicinal fungi this year, which will become a new engine for steady growth after large-scale promotion.

Jiner, or tremella aurantialba, is planted successfully by the cooperative. [Photo by Zhang Zishui for chinadaily.com.cn]

At present, Linqing is promoting the extension of the sanghuang industry to the service industry, with the second phase of the Linqing Sanghuang Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Park, which is currently under construction.

Upon its operation, it is expected to achieve an annual output of 3 billion yuan ($435.22 million) and help more than 3,000 agricultural growers increase their incomes, said Zhao Yefeng, an official of the Linqing municipal bureau of agriculture and rural affairs. (Edited by Chen Chuxuan)

A staff member is carefully cultivating fungi at the cooperative greenhouse. [Photo by Zhang Zishui for chinadaily.com.cn]