High-quality monk fruit grows well in Guidong County of Chenzhou City due to its excellent climate conditions.
Huang Lunqian, head of Guidong Yushun Agricultural Company, said that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) not only brings wealth to villagers, but also has broad prospects.
In May 2018, Huang Lunqian founded a company and transferred more than 100 mu (about 6.67 hectares) of land in Yangling Village of Pule Town and Fangcun Village of Zhaiqian Town to plant alpine monk fruit.
The fruit is planted at the average altitude of 900 meters in Guidong, with a forest coverage rate of 81.97%, an average of 46,000 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter, an annual average temperature of 15.8 degrees Celsius, and an average summer temperature of 23 degrees Celsius.
Monk fruit is a Chinese medicinal herb which can be used as medicine and food.
Each TCM planting base in Guidong county plants over 1,000 mu (66.67 hectares) with an output value of 10 million monk fruits.
According to the average market price of 3 yuan, the output value will reach 30 million yuan.
Huang Lunqian said that monk fruit has a remarkable function of nourishing and moistening the lungs. If it’s processed into healthcare products, its value will multiply.
In recent years, the county government has worked to develop TCM industry, cultivated 250,000 mu (about 16,666.67 hectares) of TCM planting bases.
Academician Liu Liang Expert Workstation Guidong TCM Industry Research Base was unveiled in Qingzhu Village of Oujiang Town on November 4, 2023.
On August 17 this year, the project of introducing academicians into grassroots was implemented in Guidong County Traditional Chinese Medicinal Hospital, injecting strong strength into the development of the county’s TCM industry.
“We will develop ‘sugar-free’ healthcare products, build a scientific research team, and expand the market, making monk fruit a good product for people’s health, lung and heart.” Huang Lunqian is confident that the monk fruit industry will be more promising as long as it can be well developed and integrated with cultural and
wellness tourism.