Guanxian County, Shandong Province: Abundant Reishi Mushroom Harvests Pave Path to Rural Prosperity

Currently, over 10,000 mu of greenhouse-grown reishi mushrooms in Guanxian County, Shandong Province, are entering their peak harvesting season. In recent years, locals have realized significant income growth through the comprehensive development of the reishi mushroom industry chain, forging a new path for rural revitalization driven by the specialty industry.

Guanxian County reishi mushroom

Entering the Yunrui Reishi Mushroom Professional Cooperative Cultivation Base in Dianzi Town, Guanxian County, one is greeted by clusters of rich, brown reishi mushrooms thriving and exuding a delightful aroma. As the ventilation fans operate, fine reishi spores are drawn into collection bags. Farmer Wang Mingrui, who cultivates more than 50 greenhouses of reishi mushrooms, finds this time of year to be his busiest.

“Harvesting spores begins in June. We collect them every morning, with each greenhouse yielding over 20 catties daily per mu, priced at more than 60 yuan per catty. We can cultivate two harvests in a year, and after this harvest, we can plant another,” said Wang Mingrui, head of the Yunrui Reishi Mushroom Professional Cooperative.

“Developing one industry boosts the local economy and enriches the local people.” Situated along the Yellow River old course, Guanxian County draws upon its abundant forest and fruit resources to vigorously promote the reishi mushroom industry. After over three decades of development, a comprehensive reishi mushroom industry chain encompassing cultivation, planting, deep processing, and creative sales has emerged. Currently, the county’s greenhouse-grown reishi mushrooms have surpassed 10,000 mu, with more than 10,000 greenhouse structures, over 3,000 specialized growers, and a workforce exceeding 50,000. The combined output of spores and fruiting bodies reaches up to 13,000 tons, generating an annual output value of 3.05 billion yuan.  

“In the past, the cultivation of reishi mushrooms was significantly affected by temperature, restricting planting to just one harvest during the spring and summer. Now, the temperature, humidity, light, and ventilation in our greenhouses are all controlled by computers, enabling continuous production throughout the year and allowing for three to four harvests annually,” stated Guo Fuqing, head of the Guanxian County Reishi Mushroom Science and Technology Demonstration Garden. The spore, which is expelled during the mature phase of reishi mushroom, embodies its essence.” Traditional greenhouses for reishi mushroom cultivation achieve a spore collection rate of about 70%. Now, employing advanced automated collection equipment, we have elevated this rate to over 95%,” Guo added.

Guanxian County’s reishi mushroom production and sales account for over 60% of the national market share. “By implementing superior variety selection, enhancing quality, and establishing a strong brand, we aim to elevate the added value of the entire industry chain. This will further promote the brand of Guanxian County reishi mushroom nationwide,” remarked Cao Ziying, president of the Guanxian County Reishi Mushroom Industry Association.