A staff member works on the black sugar production line in Mumian village. [Photo/zgqxn.com]

Mumian village in Ceheng county found a new way to improve local incomes – producing black sugar with modern equipment.

Black sugar is the county’s specialty with locals growing sugarcane throughout Ceheng. Due to backwards technology and management models, however, past sugar production brought limited income.

Aware of these limitations, the county set up a corporative in 2016 to integrate the antiquated production technology with modern equipment and management models. The sugar quality vastly improved, and thanks to e-commerce channels, the county’s black sugar products are now sold around the country, including Beijing and Shanghai.

“We can sell about 10,000 boxes of black sugar a day,” explained Wang Jiaoni, head of the cooperative’s marketing department. 

The foundation of the cooperative not only provided jobs for more than 20 locals, but also provided work opportunities for women and the elderly, as they are able to apply their embroidery skills to the packaging bags and work from home.

Edited by Zachary Dye