Mountain vegetables yield great returns for Changyang farmers

By Ma Yuanchen. Dong Zhilie, Qing Dan also contributed to this article.

Yichang’s Changyang County, one of China’s major production regions for mountain vegetables, is expected to achieve a total output value of 6 billion yuan (US$822 million) in 2024 through selling all kinds of vegetables.

After the county government's continued investments of 10 million yuan each year in this sector, the county’s planting area has reached more than 500,000 mu (33,333 hectares). The government has also partnered with commercial firms to revitalize the traditional vegetable industry through building a local brand.

"My family has built greenhouses over an area of 10 mu for chili peppers, eggplants, and other delicate vegetables. The income per mu has increased from about 5,000 yuan to over 10,000 yuan, doubling my revenue," vegetable farmer Wen Jun said with a smile. By the end of the year, he plans to invest 130,000 yuan to double the size of his greenhouses.

Changyang has developed a 300-store sales network across major Chinese cities to sell its mountain vegetables. Sales through these stores are expected to grow by 30 percent in 2024. Also this year, the total output of vegetables in Changyang is expected to reach 1.2 million tons. The county has cultivated more than 10 “professional vegetable villages,” each with an annual income of over 100 million yuan.

Zeng Jinhua, general manager of a local supply chain company, said: “We held livestreaming sessions to sell Changyang mountain vegetables and reached average daily sales of 75,000 kilograms and a yearly revenue of more than 40 million yuan. We ranked No.1 in the national fresh vegetables category on Douyin during peak season.”

Changyang is advancing rural revitalization by focusing on the development of key agricultural industries like mountain vegetables, konjac, medicinal herbs, and citrus.