A pillar industry for aid-the-poor project
( 2001-05-30 16:04 ) (8 )

A kind of edible mushroom has passed the appraisal of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, and is expected to help needy peasants get out of poverty, said an official from the Beijing Science and Technology Commission Tuesday.

The so-called "Beiqi Shengu", combines traditional Chinese medicinal herbs with an edible mushroom. The technique, which was developed in the early 1990s, uses weeds and straw in the cultivation process. The method reduces production costs and saves forest resources compared with traditional methods of mushroom-growing.

Millions of Chinese peasants in over 320 counties have escaped poverty thanks to their use of the mushroom-growing technique over the past decade.

According to Wang Yuzhao, director of the China Poverty-Relief Foundation, these peasants have created an output value totaling 10 billion yuan from growing mushrooms, making mushroom-growing a pillar industry in the country's aid-the-poor project.

So far, the technique has been spread to 320 counties in 32 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

The technique can also help improve the environment as well as bring money to peasants in poverty-stricken areas.