Green bamboo forests are growing well on the mountains in Guidong County, Chenzhou City. 

 

The county has abundant bamboo resources, with 153,000 mu (10,200 hectares) of Nan bamboo and 5 million pieces of Nan bamboo used annually. The fresh bamboo shoot yield can reach 4 million kilograms. 

 

 

Led by leading enterprises like Guidong Zhongyi Bamboo and Wood Company and Guidong Changfu Forestry Group, over 2,000 villagers are engaged in this industry.

 

Nan bamboo has become a sunshine industry for farmers to increase income. 

 

“Nan bamboo planting requires less investment and short growth period, which is great for farmers to increase income.” An official of the local forestry department of Guidong County, said that in the past, bamboo forests grew naturally and were sparsely distributed, with no prospects.

 

Now, with the help of technologies, contiguous bamboo forests are bringing actual benefits to villagers.

 

The county, taking the opportunity of replacing plastic with bamboo, has strengthened technological empowerment, and actively cultivated leading enterprises, making bamboo forests boost farmers’ income. 

 

There are about 35,000 mu (2,333.33 hectares) of bamboo forests in Taoping Area, Liuyuan Village of Zhaiqian Town, with an annual output of about 10,000 tons of bamboo. 

 

 

There are 150 households in the village, and each has their own bamboo forest. 

 

“Thanks to high terrain and fertile soil of Nanhua village, the quality of Nan bamboo here is good.” Apart from selling part of Nan bamboo to the bamboo product processing enterprises, villager Luo Zhengqian also established a processing plant to make dried slices of tender bamboo shoots. The plant purchases bamboo shoots from local and surrounding bamboo farmers and makes high quality products, which are highly favored by customers and merchants. 

 

“Nan bamboo only can generate 2.15 million yuan for the village and increase the per capita income by about 3,000 yuan on average,” said Huang Weidong, Party secretary of Nanhua village. 

 

 

Chen Denghui, a villager from Xiatou village of Qiaotou township, has been engaged in the Nan bamboo industry for over 30 years. He and his family now live a happy life through developing Nan bamboo. 

 

Huang Weidong introduced that the 16,000 mu (1,066.67 hectares) of bamboo forests in the village urgently need to be renovated. How to scientifically plant and improve the efficiency of the bamboo forest has become a headache for bamboo farmers. 

 

Therefore, sci-tech experts were arranged to inspect bamboo forests and provide training and guidance on the transformation of bamboo forests with low yield. 

 

Guo Yiping, a sci-tech expert, explained the questions raised by bamboo farmers. She said that cutting down some bamboo trees, removing weeds, fertilizing, and keeping bamboo shoots for bamboo cultivation are all good methods to improve low yield. 

 

 

These efforts can remove pests, weeds, thorny vines and shrubs, optimize the growth environment of Nan bamboo, so as to improve the quality of bamboo and bamboo shoots and increase the benefits of bamboo forests. 

 

“Covering bamboo forests with straws can keep them warm, retain water, and preserve fertilizer. As a result, Nan bamboo will grow thicker and yield more bamboo shoots.” 

 

In Xiatou Village, Qiaotou Township, Chen Denghui built his own Nan bamboo forest into a demonstration base, leading villagers to plant Nan bamboo and build roads connecting the bamboo forest. This not only helps to cultivate the bamboo forest, but also facilitates the transportation of bamboo and bamboo shoots outside the mountains.

 

 

Chinese source: hunantoday