Mulberries bring villagers more income

Bright red and purple mulberries hang from the branches at the fruit base in Bailong Village, Lifuta Town, Sangzhi County.

The mulberry picking garden was full of laughter from tourists on May 29."It's the taste. When I was a child, there was a massive tree full of mulberries in the back mountain every summer, which were delicious and appetizing."Tourists were picking, tasting mulberries, and taking photos.

The mulberry industry has the advantages of low investment, quick returns, simple management, and can be harvested in one year with a yield of up to 400 to 500 kilograms per mu (about 666.67 square meters).

In recent years, in order to increase the village's collective income, Bailong Village, with the support of the town government, has set up a fruit base mainly for mulberry planting and picking, providing more than 20 job opportunities.

In the first year, the income per mu has exceeded 10,000 yuan. On this basis, the village has adopted the model of "cooperative plus base plus poverty alleviation households plus farmers", This year, the mulberry picking garden has expanded to 30 mu (2 hectares), and the fruit base has reached 98 mu (about 6.53 hectares),laying a solid foundation for the further development of the village's collective industry.

"Next year, the village will expand the fruit base and provide free mulberry seedlings and professional technical guidance for poverty-stricken households that are willing to plant mulberry trees. We will promote mulberry planting, picking, agritainment, and mulberry culture to build our own brand," said Li Zijun, Party branch secretary of Bailong Village.