Edible wild mushrooms pave way to prosperity in Nanhua county, SW China’s Yunnan

Located in the heart of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Nanhua county is known as a “wild mushroom kingdom”. In recent years, the edible wild fungi industry has transformed Nanhua into a vital production area and bustling trading hub in the province. 

On Aug. 8, 2024, the Yunnan Nanhua International Wild Fungus Trading Center officially opened, laying the foundation for the county to further position itself as an important base for commerce and logistics for the province’s fungi industry. 

A staff member sorts matsutake mushrooms at a store located at the Yunnan Nanhua International Wild Fungus Trading Center in Nanhua county, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Zhou Jianmei, a seasoned edible wild mushroom vendor with over 30 years of experience, recently inaugurated a new store at the Yunnan Nanhua International Wild Fungus Trading Center. She also relocated her three other stores, previously situated in the old wild fungus trading market, to the new market prior to its official opening.

“The new store is 10 square meters bigger than the old one. The storefront located on the first floor offers an array of fresh wild mushrooms, while the second floor houses three stores selling dried mushrooms and gift boxes,” Zhou said.

Photo shows a busy scene at the Yunnan Nanhua International Wild Fungus Trading Center. (People’s Daily Online/Li Faxing)

At 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 8, Zhou’s phone rang, signaling the arrival of her new store’s first order. 

“A customer from Beijing wants 1 kilogram of premium matsutake mushrooms, measuring 9 to 12 centimeters long,” Zhou said.

“These locally sourced mushrooms are of excellent quality and come with a higher price tag. The price for 1 kilogram of this grade of matsutake is 680 yuan (about $94.7),” Zhou explained.

To guarantee exceptional quality, Zhou meticulously packed the mushrooms in layers inside a thermal box, with foam padding separating each layer. Ice packs were also included to ensure a cool storage environment.

She explained that this approach would preserve the mushrooms’ freshness, enabling the customer to enjoy the genuine forest-like taste of the matsutake mushrooms.

“We’ve teamed up with a courier service, and the mushrooms will be delivered to the customer by tomorrow noon at the latest,” said Zhou.

Photo shows fresh matsutake mushrooms at the Yunnan Nanhua International Wild Fungus Trading Center. (People’s Daily Online/Li Faxing)

Zhou’s phone was buzzing non-stop in the morning, with 12 orders pouring in for matsutake mushrooms from customers in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and other regions. One customer ordered five boxes of matsutake mushrooms alone. Zhou also supplies mushrooms to various restaurants. 

“Since April of last year until now, my stores’ sales revenue from wild mushrooms has surpassed 5 million yuan,” said Zhou.

A customer chooses edible wild mushrooms at the Yunnan Nanhua International Wild Fungus Trading Center. (People’s Daily Online/Li Faxing)

In Nanhua, edible wild mushrooms have not only become a specialty industry but also a new avenue for many people in mountainous areas to achieve prosperity.

Currently, the county boasts 121 wild mushroom cooperatives, 14 wild mushroom processing enterprises, and 373 catering market entities. Each year, approximately 120,000 people engage in various business activities such as mushroom management, picking, purchasing, processing, and sales.

In 2023, the county’s wild mushroom trading volume reached 12,180 tonnes, with a transaction value of 1.55 billion yuan.