Gastrodia farmers cash in on e-commerce

By Shen Yuan, Yichang International Communication Studio

Zhang Xiangdong has found success selling gastrodia (天麻) through e-commerce, something that has allowed many farmers to create additional sales channels.

In 2009, Zhang graduated from university with a major in computer science. In his job working for a privately owned foreign trade company in Shanghai, he experienced the magic of e-commerce.

Gastrodia, commonly referred to as the potato orchid, is produced in Zhang's hometown and comes with a long history. For centuries in China, the herbal plant has traditionally been used to treat various conditions including headaches, dizziness, spasms, epilepsy, strokes, amnesia, and other disorders. His father, Zhang Faqiang, is one of the earliest gastrodia farmers in Xiabaoping Town.

Hoping to help out his father and other farmers, 24-year-old Zhang decided to return home in 2011 to assist in selling gastrodia through e-commerce channels.

Zhang founded the first online store to sell gastrodia. One kilogram of dried gastrodia elata sold for a net profit of 200 yuan (US$28) online. He then founded the Yichang Zhuangyuan Gastrodia Professional Farmers' Cooperative and sold gastrodia seeds online, which quickly became a hot seller. These new sales methods have increased the income per hectare of the area from 44,776 yuan to 149,253 yuan.
 

Zhang Xiangdong (left) and members of the cooperative come together to check the growth of gastrodia in the fields.

In 2014, Zhang started selling fresh gastrodia online. Now, more than 50 percent of fresh Gastrodia from Xiabaoping is sold across Guangdong, Fujian, Chongqing and other provinces.

The cooperative has expanded from its initial six households to now 308, and the gastrodia cultivation area has increased to nearly 53 hectares. The average annual income of the locals has increased by 7,000 yuan per household.