In Lizhu village, administered by Jingjiang – a county-level city in Taizhou in East China's Jiangsu province – a 60-mu (4 hectares) planting base has achieved the province's first large-scale cultivation of artichokes.
The artichoke, renowned as being the "king of vegetables", which is a high-value cash crop native to the Mediterranean coast.
"This year marked our inaugural large-scale trial planting of artichokes, with each of the 96 sheds yielding about 400 plants each, resulting in highly successful outcomes," said grower Zhang Binghua.
Growers pick an artichoke in Jingjiang. [Photo/zhjjwx.jsjjw.cn]
A leading figure in the village, Zhang has been dedicated to introducing high-value-added agricultural varieties, detailing the three-year process from seed introduction to successful large-scale trial planting.
Due to the stringent requirements and periodic inspections imposed by foreign seed companies, organic cultivation methods were adopted to ensure the quality and taste of the artichokes.
Lizhu village is now focused on expanding its artichoke sales through e-commerce and live broadcasts, targeting large supermarkets in Shanghai and vegetarian restaurants in East China.
Leng Hongming, the village's Party secretary, anticipates that the Lizhu brand of artichokes will be fully marketed next year, with each plant yielding over 20 buds, valued at more than 300 yuan ($41.47) each.