"Today, I am very happy to see morchella growing so fast in the poverty alleviation industrial bases of edible fungi in Qinxian county and Yushe county!" said Professor Chang Mingchang, who has dedicated his life to finding ways to use technology to lift farmers out of poverty.

Chang Mingchang (2nd from left)

Chang Mingchang, a 56-year-old professor from north China's Shanxi Agricultural University, has been working in the field of applied research into edible fungi for 35 years. When he was interviewed, he had just arranged a series of field trips. "Go to Fenxi county tomorrow, where there is a modern factory production base of pleurotus ostreatus. There is also a village where morchella was planted in five sheds last year. I will go and have a look. "

In February this year, many counties in Shanxi province, including Fenxi and Yushe, were able to remove their “poverty-stricken” label. At the same time, the poverty alleviation projects featuring edible fungi in these regions have been developing rapidly.

For many years, Chang has been making every effort to put scientific and technological achievements in the field of agriculture to practical use. "We need to promote the application of scientific and technological achievements, so that their value can be truly realized."

"We must not relax our efforts in using science and technology to alleviate poverty; otherwise, we will fail the farmers," said Chang, adding that the production of edible fungi has been on his work agenda for a long time.

Since 2000, Chang has been leading a team to promote the cultivation of edible fungi in seven cities including Lyuliang, Datong and Linfen, helping increase the incomes of 40 poor counties.

The total output of edible fungi in the province increased from 90,000 tonnes in 2009 to 360,000 tonnes in 2018, and the output value has increased fivefold.

"My plan for this year is to build the most modern production base for black fungus in Zhongyang county in the Lyuliang mountainous area," Chang said, expressing full confidence in the prospects of the mushroom industry. “I am not afraid of hardship. My job is to help the farmers generate more income with small mushrooms."