Intercropping fruits, TCM herbs paves way to prosperity in Shandong county

A greenhouse intercropping grapes with maozhuacao in Niuquan town, Laiwu district, Jinan. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An agricultural model of intercropping fruits with Chinese medicinal herbs is being tested in Lyujialou village, Niuquan town, Laiwu district, Jinan, helping farmers increase their incomes.

Currently, grapes and pears have been successfully intercropped with an herb called maozhuacao on more than 120 mu (8 hectares) of land in Lyujialou village, bringing in over 3 million yuan ($409,300) in additional income for the entire village.

"In recent years, a growing awareness of health has stimulated the Chinese medicinal herb market, with an increasing demand for maozhuacao. Last year, I planted 4 mu of this herb and earned 160,000 yuan," said Lyu Ruzhen, the head of a grape planting cooperative.

He added that previously, the cooperative only planted grapes, resulting in low land utilization. However, with the implementation of the intercropping model, they are now making more efficient use of the land.

According to a worker at the cooperative, she works around 20 days a month and earns a total of 20,000 yuan annually.

"Next, Niuquan town will expand the planting scale of maozhuacao, grapes, and other crops, truly implementing the rural vitalization strategy and making the lives of the people more prosperous," said an official from Niuquan town. (Edited by Li Weiwei)