Peanut sprouts cultivate new path for rural vitalization

Planting peanut sprouts has become a new source of income for villagers in Niuquan town, Laiwu district, Jinan. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In recent years, Niuquan town in Laiwu district, Jinan, has been actively promoting the development of distinctive industries. It has established 32 specialty industries, including hawthorn deep processing and Sichuan pepper sales, fostering numerous farmer cooperatives and leading agricultural enterprises.

In the town's Bogelou village, peanut sprouts, an organic vegetable, are being cultivated. This vegetable boasts a short growth cycle and is rich in nutrients.

"Our peanut sprouts are cultivated without soil and can be harvested in just eight days. Currently, our products are mainly sold in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and other regions. We plan to promote further processing and develop pickled peanut sprout products," said Liu Yu, head of a local fruit and vegetable planting cooperative.

"Peanut sprout cultivation represents a new industry, with the potential to increase individual incomes by over 40,000 yuan ($5,531.76) per year, enabling elderly residents of Bogelou village and nearby villages to work from home and improve their livelihoods," said Wang Dunguang, Party secretary of Bogelou village.

"In the future, Niuquan town will continue to encourage villages to pursue differentiated and specialized paths in industry development, creating a series of competitive specialty agricultural products and advancing the rural vitalization journey of industrial prosperity, rural beauty, and enriched villagers," said Qi Guanlin, deputy mayor of Niuquan town.