2017年CRI Medical herb paves way to prosperity for village in Jiangxi

 

Guo Houzhen, a resident of Dong Village, holds a Chinese knotweed root from his field in May 2017. [Photo: China Plus/Wang Lei]

While 10% of its population still lives under the official poverty line, Dong Village in eastern China's Jiangxi Province is being hailed as an ideal location to grow Chinese knotweed, a profitable herb.

Local farmers have begun exploring the new opportunity with resounding¹ success in improving their standard of living.

Now is a busy time for farmers in Dong Village, as early summer is the optimal² time to plant Chinese knotweed, an herb that is believed to have considerable health benefits. As such, it has significant demand in China.

Only three years ago, local farmer Guo Honggang was living below the poverty line, relying on subsistence farming of rice on his small plot of land and living off the meager³ income it provided. He has since switched to growing Chinese knotweed and is now hiring additional help to care for his crops.

"I am growing Chinese knotweed on more than 87 mu of land, some of which are mine and some are rented. At our busiest, around 70, 80 people work on my plot. When I was growing rice, I could make 400 or 500 yuan per mu of land, but I can make 3,000 to 4,000 yuan per mu growing knotweed," explained Guo.

A close-up of a Chinese knotweed root from the field of Guo Houzhen, a local resident of Dong Village in Jiangxi Province. [Photo: China Plus/Wang Lei]

Chinese knotweed is a perennial⁴ herb used in traditional Chinese medicine. Its leaves, stems and roots have been used to treat ailments⁵ ranging from anaemia, insomnia⁶ and prematurely⁷ greying hair.

Lin Jiawei, a businessman from Guangdong, is an investor⁸ in the village's knotweed farms. He was the person who introduced the idea of growing the herb in Dong Village. He said the nutrient-rich soil in the village is ideal for growing the plant.

"In 2014, we surveyed the soil in several provinces to grow medical herbs. When we came to Dong Village, the locals said their soil is rich in selenium, which was supported by our test results. That was a wonderful surprise. Herbs grown in soil rich in selenium have been shown to produce additional health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-radiation qualities, as well as the ability to strengthen immunity," said Lin.

Chinese knotweed is seen in Dong Village in east China's Jiangxi Province in May 2017. [Photo: China Plus/Wang Lei]

Lin Jiawei said when he came to Dong Village in 2014, much of the land was left uncultivated, with many of the young people having left their village to find work elsewhere.

Now a co-op has been established to help the farmers grow the herb collectively, with investment from a local government fund earmarked for poverty alleviation⁹. Back in March, farmers in Dong Village also established a processing plant for their produce, which has helped to better preserve the freshness of the herbs.

Additionally, the farming of Chinese knotweed has provided part-time job opportunities for local laborers¹¹, who have earned extra income from working in the fields. Hiring preference is given to those in the most financial need.

Farmers plant Chinese knotweed in Dong Village, east China's Jiangxi Province, in May 2017. [Photo: China Plus/Wang Lei]

Guo Yihuang, a village official, says the effort to grow knotweed is just getting started.

"I am confident that we can create a better life for our people by making better use of our unutilized land and labor¹⁰ resources. We will also invite more members of the low-income families to join our efforts. We strive to become a village that is known for high quality Chinese knotweed," said Guo.

1 resounding   

adj. 响亮的

参考例句：

• The astronaut was welcomed with joyous,resounding acclaim. 人们欢声雷动地迎接那位宇航员。
• He hit the water with a resounding slap. 他啪的一声拍了一下水。

2 optimal   

adj.最适宜的；最理想的；最令人满意的

参考例句：

• What is the optimal mix of private and public property rights in natural resources?私人和国家的自然资源产权的最适宜的组合是什么？
• Optimal path planning is a key link for the sailing contest.帆船最优行驶路径规划是帆船比赛取胜的关键环节。

3 meager   

adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的

参考例句：

• He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
• The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火，开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。

4 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。

5 ailments   

疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His ailments include a mild heart attack and arthritis. 他患有轻度心脏病和关节炎。
• He hospitalizes patients for minor ailments. 他把只有小病的患者也送进医院。

6 insomnia   

n.失眠，失眠症

参考例句：

• Worries and tenseness can lead to insomnia.忧虑和紧张会导致失眠。
• He is suffering from insomnia.他患失眠症。

7 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

8 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

9 alleviation   

n. 减轻，缓和，解痛物

参考例句：

• These were the circumstances and the hopes which gradually brought alleviation to Sir Thomas's pain. 这些情况及其希望逐渐缓解了托马斯爵士的痛苦。
• The cost reduction achieved in this way will benefit patients and the society in burden alleviation. 集中招标采购降低的采购成本要让利于患者，减轻社会负担。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

10 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

11 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言