Mushrooms prospers an impoverished village in Jilin province
An agriculturally specialized cooperative focusing on the plantation of edible mushrooms has brought villagers an abundance of wealth in Xinli Village of Zhenlai Town, Jilin province, since its establishment in 2013.
The cooperative foundation has successfully built three standard greenhouses, covering an area of 3,600 square meters, to plant oyster mushrooms.
The initiative has developed the area's greenhouse economy as well as improved the income of local villagers.
Tang Lijuan, a villager living under the poverty line of an annual per capita net income lower than 3,000 yuan ($434), said neither her husband nor herself can take upon heavy workload due to their disability and lumbar disorders.
After the cooperative establishment, she could undertake some simple tasks and earn more than 24,000 yuan a year, leading to a significant improvement in her standard of living.
Lan Dekun, the founder and president of the cooperative, mentioned that to date, the establishment include 108 villagers from 68 families and the income of each family could annually increase by more than 3,000 yuan with the help of the local government, bank and TV station.
"Our edible mushrooms are popular in the neighboring villages and we are looking to expand the market." Lan said.