Bees and herbs are nectar for village finances
2023-07-26 20:07:00
By Yan Wanqin, Yichang International Communication Studio
To secure new income while preserving the environment, Wufeng Tujia Autonomous County in Yichang City has come up with a nifty "woods + medicinal herbs + beekeeping" model.
To secure new income while preserving the environment, Wufeng Tujia Autonomous County in Yichang City has come up with a nifty "woods + medicinal herbs + beekeeping" model.
Villagers grow Chinese medicinal herbs in the woods and keep bees near the plants. They harvest medicinal herbs and honey in the short term, and reap benefits from the trees and the slower-growing herbs in the long run.
In Sujiahe Village, Changleping Town, the members of the Wufeng Nonglianhui Farmers' Professional Cooperative headed by Zhou Jiahong are busy. But not as busy as the bees. The rhus chinensis mill on the Chinese sumac trees and the medicinal herbs under the trees are growing strongly, and swarms of eastern honeybees are collecting nectar.
In just a few years, the "woods + medicinal herbs + beekeeping" model has made a big contribution to the quality of life in the village.
Photo by Yang Wei.
In Sujiahe Village, Changleping Town, the members of the Wufeng Nonglianhui Farmers' Professional Cooperative headed by Zhou Jiahong are busy. But not as busy as the bees. The rhus chinensis mill on the Chinese sumac trees and the medicinal herbs under the trees are growing strongly, and swarms of eastern honeybees are collecting nectar.
In just a few years, the "woods + medicinal herbs + beekeeping" model has made a big contribution to the quality of life in the village.
Photo by Yang Wei.
Qiaoping Village pioneered this innovative model in Wufeng County. This village of 320 households sits at an average altitude of 1,600 meters. The big swings in daytime and nighttime temperatures and abundant rainfall make it suitable for the growth of alpine plants.
Villager Zhang Xianzhi said: "The bees transfer pollen to help the medicinal herbs grow, the medicinal herbs provide nectar for the bees, they depend on each other. In the long run the trees are another source of income for us, as well as the fruit or medicinal herbs that need several years to ripen."
The topographical and resource advantages have inspired many people in the village to try growing Chinese medicinal herbs in the woods. Zhang joined a cooperative set up by eight villagers, and planted 30 mu (2 hectares) of Chinese herbs.
The cooperative has now attracted more than 100 households and taken the lead in exploring new techniques for breeding seedlings and cultivating Chinese medicinal herbs. These advances are shared with the villagers. More than 4,000 mu of wooded land in Qiaoping village has now been planted with Chinese medicinal herbs.
Photo by Yang Wei.
Villager Zhang Xianzhi said: "The bees transfer pollen to help the medicinal herbs grow, the medicinal herbs provide nectar for the bees, they depend on each other. In the long run the trees are another source of income for us, as well as the fruit or medicinal herbs that need several years to ripen."
The topographical and resource advantages have inspired many people in the village to try growing Chinese medicinal herbs in the woods. Zhang joined a cooperative set up by eight villagers, and planted 30 mu (2 hectares) of Chinese herbs.
The cooperative has now attracted more than 100 households and taken the lead in exploring new techniques for breeding seedlings and cultivating Chinese medicinal herbs. These advances are shared with the villagers. More than 4,000 mu of wooded land in Qiaoping village has now been planted with Chinese medicinal herbs.
Photo by Yang Wei.
"Villagers' annual income has increased by 8,000 yuan per mu," said Sang Ziyang, director of the Forestry Science Institute of Wufeng Tujia Autonomous County.
Tang Zuguo, head of the Wufeng forestry bureau, said: "The ‘woods + medicinal herbs + beekeeping’ model has created a virtuous cycle. It allows villagers to increase their income without cutting trees down and hurting the environment.”
Across the county, the model has been adopted on 18,000 mu of land. To further publicize this integrated model, a 400-mu demonstration base has been set up, according to Tang.
Tang Zuguo, head of the Wufeng forestry bureau, said: "The ‘woods + medicinal herbs + beekeeping’ model has created a virtuous cycle. It allows villagers to increase their income without cutting trees down and hurting the environment.”
Across the county, the model has been adopted on 18,000 mu of land. To further publicize this integrated model, a 400-mu demonstration base has been set up, according to Tang.
