Cheng Guangyu is the owner of a konjac planting base in Leshuihe Village, Tiantang Town, Yizhang County. In the planting base, konjacs are growing well under pine trees. Cheng Guangyu said that the konjac seeds cultivated by themselves had better disease resistance than ordinary ones, and many konjac seeds in the county are supplied by his base. 

 

 

 

In 2019, encouraged by the national forestry policies, Cheng Guangyu contracted 100 mu (6.67 hectares) of pine woods to plant konjac in the neighboring village. With the guidance of Yizhang Forestry Bureau, he explored a business mode integrating company, base, study tour, farming culture, farmer and the market, and established Yizhang Mangguoyuan Ecological Farm Co., Ltd. to provide seeds and technologies for farmers, thus driving the local economic development. 

 

In recent years, based on the advantages of its forest land of 1.7035 million mu (1,135.67 square kilometers), Yizhang county has actively guided farmers to develop understory economy, and set out a new development path with higher benefits and great potentials. 

 

In order to make full use of forest resources, the county forestry bureau has focused on promoting the development of forest economy via undergrowth economy. It sent people to Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou and other places many times to find excellent varieties which are suitable for local climate. 

 

During the visit, it was found that a variety of konjac native to Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region can grow well in the climate of hilly areas and subhumid soil under trees. This is very consistent with the climate, growth environment and soil conditions of Yizhang County, so some excellent varieties of konjac were introduced from Guangxi and planted.

 

In 2020, Cheng Guangyu sold 120,000 kg of konjac products and 30,000 kg of konjac seedlings, with the total sales of 1.86 million yuan. Seeing the considerable economic benefits brought by the understory economy, many farmers in Yizhang County have also started to grow konjac. At present, the planting area of konjac in the county is more than 6,200 mu (4.13 square kilometers), which has injected new vitality into the local economic development.