Qingzhen develops under-forest industries

Qingzhen city in Guiyang developed its under-forest economy in 2025, achieving a total under-forest utilization area of 139,200 mu (9,280 hectares) by the end of the year, with the full industrial chain's value surpassing 1.12 billion yuan ($160.48 million), providing strong momentum for rural vitalization.

The Tafeng Farmers' Professional Cooperative in Qingzhen raises under-forest chickens. [Photo/WeChat account of Qingzhen city]

Qingzhen aligned industrial development with forestland resources and promoted the clustered growth of competitive industries, allocating 13,000 mu of high-quality forestland to support leading enterprises and 10,000 mu of State-owned forest for large-scale cultivation of Gastrodia elata, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herb. In addition, more than 3,000 mu of forest in Weicheng and Zhanjie towns was designated for a Phellodendron amurense industrial cluster.

Through interdepartmental coordination, the city has integrated over 9 million yuan in funding to improve infrastructure at the Wansheng TCM herbs base, including the construction of 17 kilometers of forest access roads, three elevated water storage tanks, and over 100 square meters of production and storage facilities, laying a solid foundation for industrial development.

Qingzhen also deepened "government-industry-academia-research-application" collaboration, encouraging enterprises to establish long-term partnerships with research institutions. Wansheng TCM Herbs Co, in cooperation with the Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, jointly developed a monitoring system for Gastrodia elata growth, using sampling inspections and refined management to achieve standardized cultivation. As a result, yields exceeded 15 kilograms per mu, and both product quality and output improved significantly.

The city promoted development models led by Party branches to drive the growth of cooperatives and farmers. The Party branch of Guizong village integrated collective forestland resources to establish a cooperative, prompting villagers to cultivate more than 5,000 mu of honeysuckle, with an estimated annual output value exceeding 20 million yuan.

Qingzhen will continue to focus on under-forest cultivation of TCM herbs, edible fungi, and poultry, while further improving supporting infrastructure and extending deep-processing industrial chains.