In Fujian, forest economy expands

Zhong Liangsheng, a beekeeper in Wuping county in Longyan, Fujian province, can't help laughing when he presents his bee-related products in livestreams online.

"I can sell products worth thousands of yuan a day," he said, adding that his fan base has grown to 23,000 since he started selling products this way about a month ago.

Zhong has raised bees for years and now runs a whole industrial chain that includes honey tea, mead, bee-friendly plant seeds, beekeeping equipment and lip balm.

As chairman of a beekeeping cooperative, Zhong has also encouraged over 500 farmers to join him and develop the industry.

Last year, the county had 16 beekeeping bases that produced 135 metric tons of honey and brought in revenue of more than 13 million yuan ($2 million).

The county has also developed other industries in the forest economy, such as growing Chinese medicine ingredients, edible mushrooms and flowers; raising poultry; and forest tourism.

Last year, the coverage of forests used in the industries topped 100,000 hectares, with output value reaching 4 billion yuan. The forest tourism sector draws around 3 million visits and brings in more than 1.2 billion yuan annually.

Villager Liu Huafang is a grower of purple Ganoderma lucidum— a medicinal fungus — in Dahe town. Since 2019, he has planted the fungus in broadleaf forest.

"The total output value last year reached about 2 million yuan," Liu said.

Seeing the success, he has rented more forest land this year and plans to increase the scale of planting.

According to the county's forestry and grassland bureau, Wuping county boasts around 300,000 mu of broadleaf forest that's fit for planting the fungus, for which only one tenth has been used and more is to be developed.

With a population of more than 300,000, Wuping has drawn 7,000 migrant workers back from other provinces to involve themselves in the forest economy in their hometown.