Young farmer strikes gold with tobacco crops, morel mushrooms in SW China's Guizhou

At 4 p.m., Liu Demin, a farmer in his early thirties from a village in southwest China's Guizhou Province, hurried to carry baskets of morel mushrooms, aiming to ensure that they could be dried and hit the market as soon as possible.

Liu, a native of Zhonghaizi village, Zhengtun township, Xingyi city of Guizhou, once shared the same desire as many of his peers to escape rural life and seek work elsewhere.

Liu Demin, a farmer in Xingyi city, southwest China's Guizhou Province, carries a basket of morel mushrooms. (People's Daily Online/Tu Min)

However, his outlook changed after a brief stint away from home. Experiencing the fast-paced lifestyle and cutthroat competition outside his hometown, Liu began considering returning to his roots to develop a tobacco business as Baiwanyao township in Xingyi is renowned as a growing area for premier tobacco leaves used by famous domestic tobacco brands.

Although tobacco farming ensured a relatively stable income and his father had years of experience growing tobacco leaves, the work required technical expertise and long hours under the scorching sun. Liu questioned whether he could truly commit to such demanding labor.

His concerns soon faded. In recent years, Guizhou Tobacco Company Qianxinan Branch has invested millions of yuan (1 yuan equals $0.14) in improving tobacco fields. Tobacco fields now accommodate tractors and feature comprehensive drip irrigation systems. In addition, technical guidance and professional services—such as seedling cultivation, mechanized farming, curing, and unified pest prevention and control—are also provided.

Aerial photo shows a morel mushroom base in Xingyi city, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Tu Min)

"It's no longer the backbreaking work it once was," Liu said. Having decided to stay, he gradually became one of the youngest local tobacco farmers, thanks to his hard-working spirit and dedication to cultivation techniques.

Beyond tobacco farming, Liu began exploring additional revenue streams in rural areas.

Over the past years, Guizhou Tobacco Company Qianxinan Branch has promoted a crop rotation system, integrating the cultivation of tobacco crops with grains, oil crops, vegetables, and more. This initiative provided him with a new direction for his efforts.

In 2018, Liu went to southwest China's Sichuan Province to learn the cultivation techniques of morel mushrooms. After mastering the skills, he quickly saw remarkable results.

Photo shows morel mushrooms at a morel mushroom base in Xingyi city, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Tu Min)

Liu grew tobacco plants and morel mushrooms under a crop rotation system, reducing costs and giving his morel mushroom business a competitive edge in the market.

He also invested over 100,000 yuan to replace the original bamboo frames of his greenhouses with more durable steel ones, enhancing both quality and productivity.

Today, Liu's tobacco fields maintain stable production, while his morel mushroom business thrives. This year, his 68 morel mushroom greenhouses are expected to generate about 600,000 yuan in revenue and provide daily employment opportunities for over 10 villagers during the harvest season.

Villagers harvest morel mushrooms at a morel mushroom base in Xingyi city, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Tu Min)