Morel mushrooms see strong spring harvest

Workers harvest morel mushrooms. [Photo by Li Dandan for chinadaily.com.cn]

At a cultivation base in Daliulou village, Majitown, Dingtao district, Heze, Shandong province, morel mushrooms are thriving, with workers carefully using small knives to pick the mature ones.

Liu Yong has been cultivating mushrooms for years. This year, he made the decision to turn his attention to morel mushrooms, planting over two hectares of them, a decision that reaped major dividends in the first year.

"A hectare of land can yield over 16,666 kilograms of mushrooms, with fresh mushrooms selling for over 40 yuan ($5.53) per kilogram, and over 400 yuan per kilogram when dried. As long as the yield exceeds 1,000 kilograms, profits can exceed 30,000 yuan," said Liu.

The morel mushroom is a medicinal and edible fungus, renowned as the "king of mushrooms". Due to its rich nutrients and delicious taste, it is a highly popular health supplement. (Edited by Huang Junyao)