Asparagus brings wealth to villagers in Caoxian, E China's Shandong

Photo shows asparagus in baskets, ready to be sorted in Suji town, Caoxian county, Heze city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Caoxian County Committee)

Before dawn breaks, villagers are already hard at work at the asparagus plantation base in Suji town, Caoxian county, Heze city, east China's Shandong Province. Carrying baskets and armed with harvesting tools, they skillfully move through the asparagus fields. Gently brushing aside the soil, they carefully unearth stalks of pure white, tender, and upright asparagus, placing them delicately into their baskets. In no time, baskets full of freshly harvested asparagus are transported to the warehouse for sorting and packaging before being swiftly shipped off to major supermarkets.

Right now marks the harvest season for asparagus, and the fields in Caoxian are bustling with activity, filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

A local villager surnamed Zhang has planted 3 mu (0.2 hectares) of asparagus. He starts harvesting at 6 a.m. every day and delivers it to the purchasing point around 10 a.m. Even though it's not yet peak season, he earns over 800 yuan (about $110.05) a day. Speaking of asparagus farming, his face lights up with a smile: "Asparagus is truly our 'golden crop'!"

Photo shows an asparagus plantation in Suji town, Caoxian county, Heze city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Caoxian County Committee)

To help farmers sell their asparagus more easily, the local government in Suji town proactively contacted purchasing agents and set up collection sites in the fields. According to a dealer surnamed Dong, this year, asparagus sells for about 14 yuan per kilogram, and he can collect up to 8 tonnes daily during the harvest season, delivering it directly to the factory for processing.

The asparagus industry is now a major player nationwide. With 100,000 mu of land dedicated to asparagus cultivation, accounting for 60 percent of the national total, the county produces 120,000 tonnes of high-quality asparagus annually.

Asparagus are processed into various products in the workshop of a food company in Caoxian county, Heze city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Caoxian County Committee)

Suji town, with asparagus plantations spanning 30,000 mu, has been actively developing asparagus deep processing capabilities. Currently, Caoxian county is home to more than 10 fruit and vegetable processing companies, with a combined annual processing capacity of 150,000 tonnes.

Workers process asparagus in the workshop of a food company in Caoxian county, Heze city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Caoxian County Committee)

An asparagus industry park is under construction in the county, with a total investment of 200 million yuan and covering 425 mu.

Photo shows asparagus products of a food company in Caoxian county, Heze city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Caoxian County Committee)

In the future, Caoxian county will further strengthen its asparagus industry. It will expand the asparagus value chain, develop more high-value products, increase technological investment to improve quality and yield, and boost marketing to expand Caoxian asparagus into wider markets.