In Yuexi County in Anhui, local authorities are using an edible fungus to help improve the lives of the impoverished villagers. Laibang Zhen Village now hopes to become a viable source of the black mushroom, also known as wood ears. CGTN's Joey Villarama reports.

 

Black mushrooms are a staple in many Chinese cuisines and restaurants. Usually served as a cold dish, they are widely consumed because of their beneficial properties for the lungs, especially when air quality is poor. But here in Laibang Zhen in Yuexi County in Anhui, black mushrooms have taken on an entirely different significance. The fungi have become the centerpiece of the local government’s poverty alleviation program. Capitalizing on the high demand for black mushrooms, both domestically and abroad, local authorities have provided some NINE RMB in seed money to finance the project.

 

JOEY VILLARAMA LAIBANG VILLAGE, ANHUI PROVINCE As simple as they look, black mushrooms are not that easy to cultivate. But as long as one has the right equipment and raw materials, a good harvest is expected in as short as one month.

 

And this is what local authorities have actually done. Aside from capital, the local party has the made mushroom cultivation process much easier for the program's beneficiaries by eliminating the most critical step --- preparing the raw materials for the villagers.

 

Mr. WU Songqing built this factory using the program's funds. This plant is especially designed to process saw dust, inoculate fungal cultures and isolate viable mushroom spores, all of which are needed to grow black mushrooms. This guarantees that the fungi's production will be regulated and will therefore have superior quality.

 

WU SONGQING, GENERAL MANAGER SIYUAN ECO-AGRICULTURE FACTORY Secriculture is quite popular here so mulberry twigs are everywhere. I learnt to plant the fungi before I ran my factory. I think it is probably a good idea to start my business in my hometown.

 

The spores grown in the plant are then distributed to the villagers, who can then grow the mushrooms in their homes. After a month, they can then harvest the edible fungi, dry them, and bring them back to the plant to be weighed and sold. Each villager is given 80 RMB for every kilo of mushrooms they produce. hey says they're so grateful to be given this chance to boost their income.

 

WU CHUANFENG, FARMER LAIBANG VILLAGE, ANHUI My life is much better than before. I earnt 40 thousand RMB in half a year. I will not only continue to grow the black mushroom by myself, but also introduce it to my family and my neigbours. I hope all of us will earn more in the future.

 

JIANG YUANSI, WORKER SIYUAN ECO-AGRICULTURE FACTORY I earned 10-thousand RMB a year before I started working here in 2014. Now my monthly salary is about 3,300 RMB. I don't need to find jobs outside my hometown anymore.

 

Local authorities hope that with the help of the modest black mushroom, the village will not only be recognized as its most reputable source in China, but it can also boost living standards there. Joey Villarama, CGTN, Laibang Zhen, Anhui Province.