Xixia farming initiative provides much room for growth

As China's largest mushroom production area, Xixia county in Nanyang, Henan province, lived up to its reputation and saw a busy season of mushroom production during what is usually considered the off-season.

Spotting a gap in the mushroom market during March and April, the mushroom off-season, Xixia government encouraged local farmers to plant different varieties of mushrooms able to grow at that time. The government provided technical and financial supports for the farmers, to adapt to the different conditions.

"Fresh mushrooms are priced twice as dried ones," said a local mushroom farmer Li Xian. "I have planted 20,000 bags of fresh mushrooms and am expecting a net revenue of more than 100,000 yuan ($14,970)."

According to an official from the local mushroom production office, Xixia has established many off-season mushroom production bases in rural areas. Some 10 million bags of mushrooms are cultivated annually, meeting a market gap and bringing in revenues greater than 100 million yuan ($14.97 million).