The Business behind Purple Perilla - Special Industries Boost the Economic Development of Huanan County in Heilongjiang Province Chen Yichen | Purple Perilla | Special Industries
Harbin, September 3rd, Xinhua News Agency - Business behind Perilla - Special Industries Boosting Economic Development in Huanan County, Heilongjiang Province
Xinhua News Agency reporters Chen Yichen, He Shan, Zhang Qiming
In early autumn, more than 100000 acres of purple perilla in Huanan County, Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province grow happily, like a verdant painting, blooming with vitality under the golden sunlight.
The Northeast Plain, where Huanan County is located, is one of the three golden black soil belts in the world. It has distinct four seasons, abundant sunshine, and abundant rainfall, making it suitable for the growth of perilla in cold regions. This place has a history of planting and consuming perilla for decades, and is known as the "hometown of Chinese perilla". Huanan perilla has also obtained the national geographical indication certification for agricultural products.
Perilla taken on September 1st at the Huanan Perilla Planting Experimental Base. Shen Jizhong
In recent years, Huanan County has focused on supporting the perilla industry, using perilla planting, industrial chain layout, and other measures to promote the development of characteristic industries and assist in rural revitalization and county economic development.
Gao Yucai, a villager from Baofeng Village, Mengjiagang Town, Huanan County, was caressing a nearly one person tall perilla in the field, feeling overjoyed and saying, "This is Huanan's treasure."
Gao Yucai used to grow traditional field crops such as soybeans and corn. In 2007, he started planting perilla with a trial mentality, and his income per acre of land had tripled. "I never thought we could sell for so much money, and my wife and I were so excited that we couldn't sleep." After tasting the sweet taste, Gao Yucai gradually expanded the area of perilla cultivation and carried out standardized planting. Now he is a well-known expert in perilla, not only leading the establishment of perilla planting cooperatives, but also actively seeking cooperation from enterprises from Guizhou.
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Xinhe Village in Tuoyaozi Town, Huanan County, not far from Baofeng Village, has been selected as a national "one village, one product" demonstration village project with perilla. Due to health reasons, Yang Yugui, a poverty-stricken household in the village, is unable to engage in large-scale cultivation of traditional crops. In 2021, with the assistance of the village, Yang Yugui planted more than 90 acres of perilla, and his income reached over 200000 yuan that year.
Jiao Xueshan, Deputy Secretary of the Party Branch of Xinhe Village, introduced that perilla has brought earth shattering changes to the village. More than 330 households in the village have planted nearly 24000 acres of perilla, resulting in a significant increase in income. About two-thirds of households have driven cars as a result. Some villagers have also expanded their planting areas in areas such as Qiqihar and Mudanjiang, seeking greater development.
Huanan County is not only satisfied with traditional perilla cultivation and sales, but actively explores the layout of the entire industry chain to enhance industrial added value.
In the production workshop of Huanan Nongshengyuan Food Co., Ltd., coffee colored perilla seeds are jumping on the shelling machine. After being washed, dried, shelled, graded, cold pressed, refined, and canned, the perilla seeds harvested from perilla turn into bottles of fragrant perilla oil, which is just a small part of many perilla products.
Sun Hui, General Manager of Huanan Nongshengyuan Food Co., Ltd., introduced that the company relies on the rich local resources of perilla in Huanan County, and combines market demand to develop characteristic products such as perilla oil and perilla mooncakes. The annual output value is about 52 million yuan, driving nearly 120 local employment. The products are exported to Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang and other places.
There are also many perilla processing enterprises in Huanan County, such as Nongshengyuan, which utilize the different characteristics of perilla seeds, leaves, roots, and stems to produce a variety of products such as Chinese medicinal herb slices, perilla rice, perilla meal powder, and perilla seasoning. Through deep processing, the industrial chain is extended, and the economic benefits are greatly improved. Xu Yonggang, Secretary of the Huanan County Party Committee, stated that perilla is a unique and advantageous industry in the local area. Huanan County will expand its planting scale, deepen its processing chain, and promote research and development innovation to achieve the upgrading of the perilla industry.