Guangxi's non-timber economy sees huge growth in past decade

The Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has seen a remarkable boom in its forest-based non-timber economy in the past almost a decade, as it strives to tap its potential in benefiting people economically in areas with rich forest resources.

By the end of 2024, the region has seen the output value of the economy reach 138.8 billion yuan ($19.5 billion), compared with 71.4 billion yuan in 2015, according to the region's forestry authority.

The economy has benefited more than 12 million forest farmers, increasing their annual income by over 4,000 yuan on average, a release from the bureau said.

It noted 2011 as an important year for the development of forest-based non-timber economy in the region.

The year marked the completion of the reform of collective forest rights system in the region, it said. Thereafter, the regional authorities underpinned the forest-based non-timber economy as a key measure to address difficulties faced by forest farmers in relying on forest resources for livelihood.

This effort represents a proactive step toward "exploring new pathways for achieving prosperity without relying on tree felling", it stressed.

It said Guangxi's remarkable progress in developing its non-timber forest economy was driven by a series of measures the region implemented.

Following the introduction of supportive policies, 358 million yuan in special subsidies has been allocated since 2016, leveraging nearly 900 million yuan in investment into the sector, it said.

It said the region has also introduced a series of innovative financing models, including forest rights mortgage lending, to help forestry entities address funding shortages.

Through a coordinated effort across financial regulatory agencies and departments of industry, agriculture, and forestry, a tailored mechanism for guaranteed lending has been established in Guangxi to promote the development of forest-based non-timber economy in the region, the administration said.

Under the mechanism, agricultural credit guarantee companies will provide guarantees for enterprises recommended by the forestry departments to help them secure bank loans.

To date, over 150 million yuan in loans has been disbursed through this mechanism, according to the administration.