Strawberry success: a blossoming investment in Wudang

Strawberries ripen in Wangba village, Wudang district. [Photo/WeChat account of Wudang district]

Since the onset of winter, strawberries have been ripening in Wangba village of Xinchang town in Wudang district. In the strawberry-picking garden of Fengyu Agricultural Technology Development Co, located in the village, bustling scenes unfold as visitors busily pick the sweet ruby red fruit.

Wu Fengyu is responsible for managing Fengyu Agricultural Strawberry Picking Garden. He said strict control is required when selecting strawberry seedlings and overseeing the garden's daily care and management to ensure the temperature and humidity is carefully controlled.

This year's strawberries boast a higher quality than in previous years and are available in the market earlier than usual.

At the same time, the company adheres to ecological cultivation principles, allowing the strawberries to ripen naturally. This approach results in fruit with a more flavorful and delicious taste.

In order to better understand the growing conditions of strawberries in different environments, the company has constructed more than 10 mu (0.67 hectares) of elevated nutrient soil for strawberry cultivation in Yangchang Huahua Town.

Additionally, it has established over 20 mu of conjoined greenhouses for strawberry cultivation and more than 10 mu of strawberry cultivation in glass greenhouses in Guian New Area.

As of now, the company has six strawberry planting bases covering an area of over 600 mu, with the highest annual production reaching up to 300,000 kilograms.

Last year, the company invested 3 million yuan ($420,600) in the village to develop a scale of 100 mu for strawberry cultivation and 30 mu for factory-scale seedling cultivation.

The company employs over 25 permanent workers a year and more than 50 seasonal temporary workers. The annual cumulative expenditure on labor exceeds 1 million yuan.