New cultivation mechanism facilitates Pingnan's agriculture

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2014-10-31

He Yingsong, a villager in Pingnan county, Fujian province, picks up agrocybe cylindracea in a standard mushroom house on Oct 23, 2014. [Photo / cn-bsy.com]

He Yunhui, a villager in Banzhen village, Pingnan county, Fujian province, initiated a 33-hectare demonstration base for farming entrepreneurs in May, 2013, with support from local governmental departments.

The base has completed 50 standard mushroom houses, one of which costs a rent of 3,500 yuan ($573) a year and 10,000 yuan for three years. The tenants can choose to manage independently or operate with the local rural cooperative by sharing the profits.

Almost all 233 families in Banzhen village make a living by cultivating agrocybe cylindracea. Cultivation houses, with a total area of over 600 square meters, yield only 30,000 bags of agrocybe cylindracea, which wasted the land resources and earned low profits. Now the new mushroom houses, each costing 39,000 yuan and covering 84 square meters, can prevent fire and insect attacks and preserve heat and moisture.

Independent operation

He Daoqi rented two mushroom houses in June and cultivated 60,000 bags of agrocybe cylindracea. Now the output of each bag is over 250 grams and even up to 500 grams with a selling price of 9 yuan per kilogram, while the yield used to be less than 250 grams with a selling price of 7 yuan per kilogram. The overall benefits increase despite the rental cost, said He Daoqi.

Cooperation pattern

He Yingsong conducted his cultivation program with the help of rural cooperative. He got seven houses for a favorable price and a supporting fund of 100,000 yuan. He invested 200,000 yuan and the profits with the rural cooperative by 2:1. He can pick up agrocybe cylindracea of 400 kilograms every day and get a daily income of 3,600 yuan. The cooperation pattern can reduce the market risk, according to He Yingsong.