Cultivation of morel mushroom boosts economic development

The morel mushroom, an edible fungus, is cultivated in Linyi's Feixian county to promote rural vitalization. [Photo by Wang Ling for chinadaily.com.cn]

In Shijing town, Feixian county, Linyi city, Shandong province, a thriving industry centered around the cultivation of the morel mushroom has taken root. The town has seen impressive growth in the mushroom's planting area, surpassing 120 mu (approximately 8 hectares) by 2023 and creating employment opportunities for over 140 individuals.

The morel mushroom, a sought-after high-end edible fungus, is nutritious and tasty and has a short growth cycle and high market value, making it a lucrative crop.

To fully harness the economic potential of morel mushrooms, the town has proactively engaged households that grow it in hands-on learning, collaborated with universities, and enlisted experts from the provincial agricultural science institute to provide valuable on-site technical guidance.

Incentives have been offered to register morel mushrooms as a proprietary brand, explore advanced processing techniques, and establish a comprehensive industrial chain.

In addition, Shijing town has been pursuing an integrated approach to agriculture, culture, and tourism by tailoring agricultural products to each village. Leveraging historical red education resources, the town has introduced initiatives such as homestays, morel mushroom planting visitation sites, and picking orchards.

The town currently hosts four three-star homestays, one strawberry picking orchard, and one morel mushroom planting base, epitomizing a novel model for rural vitalization that blends education, tourism, research and agricultural activities. (Edited by He Yuge)