Daguan county in SW China's Yunnan turns bamboo resources into money

As the first bamboo shoots emerged from the soil, Luo Kunheng, a bamboo grower arrived at his bamboo forest with a team of workers to begin the harvest season.

"On the day production reached its peak, my bamboo shoots fetched 11,000 yuan (about $1,517.55)," said Luo.

Luo, a 38-year-old resident of Xisha village in Mugan township, Daguan county, Zhaotong city, southwest China's Yunnan Province, was left disabled at a young age due to illness. His venture into bamboo cultivation gave him an opportunity to transform his life.

Luo Kunheng smiles while holding freshly harvested bamboo shoots. (People's Daily Online/Fu Hao)

Since 2018, Luo has contracted a total of 1,640 mu (about 109.33 hectares) of land for bamboo cultivation. He said that this year alone, he has already earned 80,000 yuan from selling bamboo shoots.

Luo is one of the farmers in Daguan county who have profited from the bamboo industry.

The county, located in a mountainous area, previously suffered from poverty and lacked significant industries.

Photo shows a bamboo forest in Mugan township, Daguan county, Zhaotong city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Fu Hao)

The bamboo variety cultivated in Daguan county, known as Qiongzhu, thrives in high-altitude regions with abundant rainfall and limited sunlight. Daguan county has emerged as a significant production hub for this particular bamboo variety.

Over the past nearly six years, Daguan county has given key support to the bamboo industry, recognizing it as a major player in promoting green development, consolidating poverty alleviation efforts, and driving rural revitalization.

The county has encouraged local villagers to plant bamboo around their houses, as well as along abandoned slopes and under taller trees. At the same time, the county has also allocated funds for road construction, organizing training sessions on bamboo farming, and introduced and developed bamboo processing factories.

The planting area of Qiongzhu bamboo in Daguan has reached 1.02 million mu, representing over 70 percent of the global total planting area of this variety. Prior to 2018, bamboo shoots were sold at approximately 4 yuan per kg, but today, the price has increased to between 12 and 14 yuan per kg.

Photo shows bamboo shoots in a bamboo forest in Daguan county, Zhaotong city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Tang Yingping)

Daguan county has established bamboo industrial parks to attract processing companies, facilitating the transportation of bamboo raw materials to nearby industrial parks.

Workers process bamboo shoot products at a food company in Daguan county, Zhaotong city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Fu Hao)

In March 2023, a food company was established in Mugan township. The company mainly produces bamboo shoot products such as peeled bamboo shoots.

"We operate daily, excluding weekends and holidays. We are experiencing a significant increase in orders, with many coming from clients outside the province. It took us just one year to surpass the designated size. The company's projected output value for the next year is expected to reach 70 million yuan," stated Cheng Gongyi, head of the food company.

Photo shows bamboo furniture and bamboo handicrafts in Daguan county, Zhaotong city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Fu Hao)

The Qiongzhu bamboo in Daguan is an ideal raw material for making handicrafts and furniture.

"Before, bamboo poles were primarily utilized as firewood or for constructing bamboo fences," said Ou Xianqin, chairman of a bamboo culture company in Daguan county. Prior to establishing the company, Ou and her husband worked as migrant workers outside Daguan.

In 2018, the couple returned to their hometown to take part in a training session for technical workers in the bamboo industry. Following the training, they made the decision to capitalize on the business opportunity by venturing into bamboo processing.

Through efforts made by various sides, the company's bamboo products gradually gained market recognition. In 2023, the company's sales volume surpassed 15 million yuan.

The bamboo industry has provided opportunities for local people to work near their homes.

Tang Rongmei, 36, works at a bamboo processing company in Daguan county. As a skilled worker, she now earns a monthly salary of 8,000 yuan, a significant increase from 2,000 yuan when she first joined the company.

Tang Rongmei works on a bamboo bookcase at a bamboo processing factory in Daguan county, Zhaotong city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Fu Hao)

According to data from the bamboo industry development center of Daguan, the county has fostered 18 bamboo processing companies, 21 collective economic organizations related to bamboo, and 82 farmers' cooperatives and family farms. The comprehensive output value of the bamboo industry has now exceeded 2 billion yuan.

Photo shows lush bamboo forests along mountain slopes in Daguan county, Zhaotong city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Tang Yingping)