'Blissful grass' ramps up rural development

Villagers in Pingzhai village are busy drying sphagnum. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

Pingzhai village in Huaxi district, Guiyang has an average elevation of 1,540 meters, making it the highest point in Guiyang. It is a typical high-altitude, cold mountainous area where the growth of most crops, especially rice, is affected by temperature, resulting in low yields, poor quality, and limited profitability.

Starting in 2020, the cultivation of sphagnum has been gradually promoted throughout the village, helping farmers increase their incomes.

The sphagnum is not only used for military first-aid kits and as a substitute for cotton in medical applications, but can also be used for transporting live aquatic products, refining into food preservation materials, and in flower cultivation, among other things.

It can grow in high-altitude areas without the need for fertilizers, and its growth is relatively unaffected by the climate. It can also be harvested twice every three years after planting and regenerates naturally.

Based on an estimated yield of around 350 kilograms per mu (0.07 hectares) per year, the annual income per mu from sphagnum is approximately 10,000 yuan ($1,370).

According to one villager, "It's better to cultivate sphagnum than corn or rice. You sow the seeds in the field in the first year, and you can start harvesting in the second year."

As a result, these small plants are also referred to by local villagers as "blissful grass."