It all started because of Nature.
For hundreds of years, people have understood that the Siraitia fruits or monk fruits only grow in a small area in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. So much so that 90 percent of the fruit sold globally today comes from there.
Maybe the fruit with both medical and dietary value favors the climate with a long summer and a short winter, and sufficient sunlight as well as rainfall. Maybe it's because of the mountainous topography.
Siraitia, or monk fruits. /VCG
Nevertheless, people in the area started to act. They went to the forests to find some strong young plants in the wild and relocate them indoors in order to nurture stronger and better breeds of the plant.
Today, the fruit has turned into a local economic pillar. Extracts from the fruit have been turned into lung-protecting Chinese herb medicine, additives to tea, low-calorie dietary sweeteners, etc.
Harvesting. /VCG
Dried monk fruits. /VCG
The fruit has brought money to local farmers. Wu Yongping, a farmer in Quanzhou County grew over 2,800 monk fruit trees and earned a profit over about 70,000 yuan (about $10133) in 2016. The same year, Deng Chunfa, another farmer grew 800 trees and earned about 30,000 yuan(about $4342). Statistics show that the average disposable income per capita in the rural areas of the county was 13,651 yuan(about $1976) in 2017.
In the nearby Longsheng County, more than 3,000 poor households were lifted out of poverty because of the fruit by 2018.
Today, with support from the government and the business sector, the fruit industry has been growing more and has become standardized. Farmers have been able to receive financial and technological help as well as insurance to earn a stable profit. Some officials even joined some live-streaming selling programs to help farmers sell more of the fruit.
About 'Life-changing Seeds' Series:
Greenery has been a vital part in China's fight against poverty. Numerous farmers have been lifted out of poverty because of the plants they grow on their farmland, especially the unique ones and those endemic to a certain area. As China's most important political event, the Two Sessions, is currently underway, CGTN Nature selects five stories of how plants have helped in the country's efforts to improve residents' well-being. Stay tuned!
To learn more:
Revival in the Mountains | Episode 7: Magical fruit
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)