Hechi's forestry industry yields $483.1m in 2019

The forestry industry of Hechi, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region yielded an output value of 3.37 billion yuan ($483.1 million) in 2019, with an 11.6 percent increase in its added value, ranking first in the city's agriculture related industries.

The forestry industry contributed 20.29 percent to the agricultural economic growth in Hechi in 2019.

The city's output of wood in 2019 reached about 3 million cubic meters, 115.25 percent of the city's annual goals, while that of wood-based panels was 1.05 million cu m, with a target completion rate of 100 percent.

The forestry-related industries of the 10 poverty alleviation industries had seen rapid development in Hechi last year.

The new plantation area of tea-oil trees in Hechi in 2019 reached 259,000 mu (17,267 hectares), ranking first in Guangxi, and the total plantation area of tea-oil trees in Hechi was 1.51 million mu, ranking second in the region.

Farmers in Hechi, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region raise sheep under the walnut forest. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

There were seven core demonstration areas of modern characteristic forestry in Hechi that were recognized by the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in 2019. The demonstration base for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) under the forest in Fengshan county was listed among the first batch of the TCM demonstration bases in Guangxi.

The city also planted 331,500 mu in trees and carried out forest tending for 347,300 mu by the end of 2019, with a forest coverage rate of 71.02 percent, 0.97 percentage points higher than that of the previous year.

There were 36 villages in Hechi that were rated as a "National Forest Village" in 2019, of which eight of them were among the first batch of rural revitalization and forestry demonstration villages in Guangxi.

In 2019, Hechi issued the first hypothecated loan for the ecological and public welfare forest in Guangxi, benefiting more than 50 farmers.

The pilot work of the five-level "forest chief" system was further deepened in Hechi in 2019. A total of 39,184 mu of occupied woodlands were recovered, which was 111.87 percent of the city's annual target.

A subsidy of 75 million yuan was provided for ecological forest rangers in 2019, and a total of 10,700 forest rangers were selected and employed.

In addition, Hechi set up 26 poverty alleviation and afforestation cooperatives in 2019, covering 71,400 impoverished people.

The city also established 38 demonstration sites for poverty alleviation through science and technology last year, covering a total area of 75,900 mu and training 12,000 local technical talents.