Rising price of gastrodia elata to break Xiabaoping Town income record
2023-05-22 19:05:34
By Ma Yuhan, Yichang International Communication Studio
As the price of gastrodia elata continues to rise, a Yichang town well known for producing this Chinese herbal plant is expected to break its income record this year.
Xiabaoping Town, known as “China’s Hometown of gastrodia elata,” began to develop this industry in the 1960s. The town is expected to earn more than 1 billion yuan (US$14.23 million) from selling gastrodia elata and related products this year, overtaking the 880 million yuan in sales from 2022 and setting a new record in recent years.
Gastrodia elata, also called Tianma, Heavenly Horse and Chinese Gastrodia, is a member of the orchid family and is known for its medicinal properties. Its rhizome is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of conditions, including headache, dizziness, epilepsy, and tetany. It is also used to improve memory and cognitive function.
Thanks to Xiabaoping’s suitable environment and supportive policies for producing gastrodia elata, its output is popular in China.
Demand continues to outpace supply.
“A single fruit can now be sold for 0.7 yuan,” said Li La Mei, a Xiabaoping villager.
She has harvested a total of 150,000 gastrodia elata fruits, and her income can reach 400,000 yuan.
As the price of gastrodia elata continues to rise, a Yichang town well known for producing this Chinese herbal plant is expected to break its income record this year.
Xiabaoping Town, known as “China’s Hometown of gastrodia elata,” began to develop this industry in the 1960s. The town is expected to earn more than 1 billion yuan (US$14.23 million) from selling gastrodia elata and related products this year, overtaking the 880 million yuan in sales from 2022 and setting a new record in recent years.
Gastrodia elata, also called Tianma, Heavenly Horse and Chinese Gastrodia, is a member of the orchid family and is known for its medicinal properties. Its rhizome is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of conditions, including headache, dizziness, epilepsy, and tetany. It is also used to improve memory and cognitive function.
Thanks to Xiabaoping’s suitable environment and supportive policies for producing gastrodia elata, its output is popular in China.
Demand continues to outpace supply.
“A single fruit can now be sold for 0.7 yuan,” said Li La Mei, a Xiabaoping villager.
She has harvested a total of 150,000 gastrodia elata fruits, and her income can reach 400,000 yuan.
