In order to consolidate the achievements of poverty alleviation, promote the development of poverty-stricken areas, and comprehensively revitalize rural areas, Weiyuan County (located in Dingxi City, Gansu Province)has introduced edible fungi production enterprises from Qingdao City, Shandong Province to guide local farmers to cultivate edible fungi. Currently, 92 edible fungi cultivation greenhouses, 46 drying sheds, 1mushroom spawn production plant, and 2 edible fungi growing facilities have been built, which effectively promotes local poverty alleviation and prosperity. Recently, our reporter went to Weiyuan County and interviewed Cui Zhuoran ，Weiyuan County Party Committee Standing Committee member and Deputy County Mayor， as well as local farmers regarding the implementation of this project and its current achievements.

Q: What are the advantages of introducing edible fungi production enterprises in Weiyuan County?

Cui Zhuoran: Weiyuan County is named for its location at the source of the Wei River, the largest tributary of the Yellow River. It belongs to the transitional area between the end of the West Qinling Mountains and the northern Loess Plateau, with an altitude ranging from 1,930 meters to 3,941 meters. The average annual precipitation is 507 millimeters, the average temperature is 6.1°C, and the daylight hour is long, with a large temperature difference between day and night. Therefore, the climate in Weiyuan County is particularly suitable for developing the edible fungi industry. Through extensive investigation and research, we mainly introduced Qingdao Xinruifang Agricultural Company to invest in the edible fungi production industry base in Weiyuan County through East-West collaboration.

Q: How is the project going? How is the project operating?

Cui Zhuoran: During the first phase of the project, we invested a total of 58 million yuan, constructing 92 edible fungi cultivation greenhouses, 46 drying sheds, 1 mushroom spawn production plant, and 2 edible fungi growing facilities . In 2023, the Weiyuan edible fungi base produced more than 300,000 jin (150 tons) of dried edible fungi , driving more than 150 villagers to achieve local employment, and the village-level collective economic dividends reached 600,000 yuan. The first batch of 3.3 million edible fungi sticks were cultivated in the greenhouse two months ago. Now, 1.6 million sticks of black fungus will be ready for harvesting in another week, and 1.7 million sticks of oyster edible fungi s have been fully grown and are being harvested by workers, with an output value of 30 million yuan.

Q: Have the farmers cultivated edible fungus before? Do they know how to do it?

Cui Zhuoran: Before, farmers in the village mainly cultivated wheat, soybeans, potatoes, etc. They have never cultivated edible fungus like black fungus and oyster mushrooms. Since the establishment of mushroom spawn production plant, the town government and the enterprise have promptly organized local farmers to conduct mushroom cultivation training. Currently, farmers have basically mastered the cultivation techniques.

Q: How effective is mushroom cultivation?

Farmer Liu: This year, I built a greenhouse on my own one-mu (667㎡) field and invested 10,000 yuan to purchase 5,000 oyster mushroom sticks from the company for cultivation. Now, all of them have grown . Based on the calculation of one jin(500 ɡ）of mushrooms per stick and a price of 6 yuan per jin, the output value is 30,000 yuan, and the net profit is 20,000 yuan. Previously, when cultivating other crops, the income from one mu of land was only about 2,000 yuan. The mushroom stick factory is near my home, and we had visited it. It is convenient to transport mushroom sticks. The factory produces edible Fungi sticks include multiple varieties such as black fungus, jellyfish mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms, providing a wide range of options. The company also provides on-site technical guidance and procurement, and my income has increased by 10 times. The benefits are excellent.

Q: The farmers are very confident. What changes will occur in this project in the future?

Cui Zhuoran: After the completion of the first phase of production, the edible mushroom industrial park will proceed to the second phase of construction. Currently, we have introduced Yuanmao Agricultural Technology Company from Chengyang District, Qingdao City, to establish a joint venture company through capital investment to further expand production capacity. During the second phase, we will invest a total of 34 million yuan, planning to construct two mushroom spawn production plants, smart mushroom cultivation warehouses, and renovate a batch of idle greenhouse facilities. It is expected that the production of mushroom spawn can reach over 16 million sticks annually. The funds for the second phase have already been prepared, and comprehensive construction will begin soon.

Additionally,we has been planned for a third phase, aiming to build a high-quality product processing plant for edible mushrooms. This will enable us to create a complete edible mushroom industry chain in Weiyuan, forming an integrated development model encompassing “mushroom strain cultivation, spawn production, mushroom cultivation management, guaranteed purchase, deep processing, and product sales.”

Furthermore, in order to further enhance the added value of agricultural products, we have registered the “Wuzhu” black fungus trademark, which represents organic and green agricultural products. We are also actively applying for the “Gan Wei”（Gansu cuisine) agricultural product certification. The “Wuzhu “edible mushrooms are now available on multiple e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, JD.com, and Douyin, and our products have entered into catering businesses, large supermarkets, and offline flagship stores in Beijing, Qingdao, and Lanzhou and other places.