In Mid-autumn, villagers were drying red chilies at Jinlong Village, Shuanglong Town, Huayuan County.
Jinlong Village is situated in the southeast of Huayuan County, on the high mountains with an average elevation of over 900 meters. The village is enveloped by mist and clouds, giving it a surreal appearance as if it were suspended in the sky.
The unique combination of water, soil, and sunlight resources has endowed Jinlong Village with brightly colored, spicy, and flavorful chilies which are high-quality raw materials for making dried chilies, chili sauce, and seasonings, and one of the leading agricultural industries in the village. Every year, numerous merchants come here to purchase chilies.
This year, Jinlong Village has cultivated over 420 mu (about 28 hectares) of chilies, with an average yield of about 1,500 kilograms per mu (about 0.067 hectares), and an average price of 0.6 yuan per kilogram. When the fresh chilies are dried and sorted, the price for dried chilies can reach 10 yuan per kilogram. Compared to corn cultivation, the income from growing these chilies is significantly higher.
A thriving industry is the key to rural revitalization. In recent years, Jinlong Village has continuously adjusted and optimized its agricultural industry structure, and vigorously developed the chili planting industry by capitalizing on its geographical advantages.
It has introduced new chili varieties, improved planting techniques, expanded planting area and enriched supplied products, such as fresh and dried chilies, increasing local farmers’ income.
In the future, with the development mode of government guidance, market operations, and public participation, Jinlong Village will continue to improve production efficiency and benefits, and turn chilies into a big industry to boost rural revitalization.
