CREC Helps Poverty Alleviation by Developing Local Industry

Jinmi village lying in the southern foothill of the Qinling Mountains in Zhashui county of Shaanxi province, recently overcame poverty by developing the black fungus industry.

Covering an area of 17 square kilometers, the village has only about 948 mu (63.2 hectares) of farming land. In the past, the inconvenient traffic added to the village's poverty, and 188 households in the village were listed as poverty-stricken.

The situation has improved since China Railway First Group Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of China Railway Group Limited (CREC), shouldered the responsibility of helping the area get rid of poverty.

Villagers used to plant black fungus by themselves but the harvests were slow in coming and the incomes were low.

In 2019, four smart black fungus greenhouses and a training center were built thanks to China Railway First Group Co., Ltd.

The black fungus training center China Railway First Group Co., Ltd. built in Jinmi village in Zhashui [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

Growing their crops in greenhouses, villagers no longer need to worry about the weather.

According to Jiang Baichuan, Party branch secretary of the village, output of the greenhouses is three times more than that of the traditional plantation methods in the village.

In addition, temperature, humidity and spraying are controlled automatically from a smart control room, which is easier to manage.

What's more, black fungus grown in greenhouses is cleaner and of better quality than that planted outside; it's also more easily picked.

Many tourists also visit the village to check out the smart greenhouses.

Villagers from 130 poverty-stricken families have actively participated in the black fungus industry since the greenhouses were completed.

To help the village completely getting rid of poverty the company built a black fungus industrial chain integrating production, packaging and sales.

Poverty-alleviation supporting facilities were also constructed in neighborhoods to create jobs for local people.

Take the one near Shizhen community for example. The plant is designed to cover an area of 1,459 square meters and will eventually include a double-layer colored steel structure workshop for black fungus sorting and packaging as well as space for offices.

Featuring a variety of machines, the workshop will also package other local agricultural products from Zhashui such as mushrooms, walnuts and chestnuts.

Local residents sort black fungus at the neighborhood workshop. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

The packaging procedure will help build the products' brands and improve their competitiveness.

Upon completion, the plant will provide 50 jobs to local poverty-stricken residents.

China Railway First Group Co., Ltd also helped build a black fungus special museum project. Covering about 400 square meters, the project is mainly to demonstrate and promote the Zhashui black fungus as a brand online and offline to increase sales.

In addition to supporting development of a local industry, the company has also purchased local products valued at more than 1.9 million yuan ($267,990.63) to help alleviate poverty in the area.

(Executive editor: Zhang Tianyuan)