County in S China's Hainan thrives on Zamioculcas Zamiifolia

Ledong Li Autonomous County, south China's Hainan Province has blazed a trail to prosperity through planting Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, bringing wealth to local people.

Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, a decorative plant, has become a major industry of Foluo township of Ledong. While expanding the planting area, the township has fostered a comprehensive industrial cluster covering production, supply and marketing of the plant, as well as sales of pesticides and fertilizers. Now, the industry in Foluo, whose annual output value of the industry has hit 1.28 billion yuan ($175.55 million), provides 30,000 flexible jobs for the local people.

Photo shows Zamioculcas Zamiifolia growing in a greenhouse of a planting base in Foluo township, Ledong Li Autonomous County, south China's Hainan Province. (Photo/Chen Yingqing)

The Zamioculcas Zamiifolia has high ornamental value and carries auspicious meaning, and is therefore well-liked by consumers, said Yang Fu, deputy general manager of a local horticulture company. Yang added that Ledong boasts a favorable geographic location, a good soil condition and sufficient light and heat for cultivating the plant.

"Our company has 9,785 mu (652.33 hectares) of Zamioculcas Zamiifolia fields in 187 planting bases. And the output value per mu varies from 130,000 to more than 200,000 yuan," said Yang, who also said that the plant is sold in some major provinces in China as well as exported to Japan, South Korea, Europe, and North America.

A worker waters Zamioculcas Zamiifolia in a greenhouse of a planting base in Foluo township, Ledong Li Autonomous County, south China's Hainan Province. (Photo/Chen Yingqing)

Ledong has built a big data platform for the plant, digital demonstration bases where insect, soil and weather conditions can be monitored, and online e-commerce and supervision platforms. These systems can gather extensive information from all links of the production chain and realizing data sharing among them. Yang said that the data provided by the platform can help growers predict the amount of water needed and soil condition in advance, therefore improving the quality of the plant.

Photo shows potted Zamioculcas Zamiifolia in a greenhouse of a planting base in Foluo township, Ledong Li Autonomous County, south China's Hainan Province. (Photo/Chen Yingqing)