On February 26, Hubei Xiangyang Morel Mushroom Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd, located in Xinjian Village, Wolong Town, Xiangcheng District, Xiangyang, Hubei Province, ushered in the harvest season for morel mushrooms. The company’s 50 mu of morel mushrooms have achieved a bumper harvest, with estimated yields exceeding 500 kilograms per mu. Photo by An Fubin, the Chief Journalist of the All-media, and Zeng Qinghong and Gao Xiongwen, the Correspondents

Chen Shuang and Zeng Zheng, the Journalists of the All-media, and Dong Meili and Wang Ming, the Correspondents

Spring tides surge, heralding a season of renewal.

On February 20, the journalists visited Xueliang Village in Wolong Town, Xiangcheng District, Xiangyang, Hubei Province. Across the vast sandy fields stood neat rows of greenhouses dedicated to morel mushroom cultivation.

“In the past, our village lacked distinctive industries, and most villagers sought jobs outside. In recent years, we have focused on industrial development to increase incomes, steadily advancing the morel mushroom industry and turning it into a pillar sector of the village,” said Wang Xuan, Director of the Xueliang Village Committee. To date, the village has planted more than 2,700 mu of morel mushrooms, accounting for roughly one quarter of the total cultivation area in Xiangcheng District.

In introducing the industry, Wang led the journalists to a large roadside morel mushroom cultivation base.

The spring air outdoors is crisp and cool, yet inside the morel mushroom greenhouse, a warm, humid microclimate pervades—imbued with the earthy aroma of soil and the delicate fragrance of fresh mushrooms. The journalists observed that on the mushroom beds, plump, tender, and newly emerged morel mushrooms had already broken through the substrate, their caps unfurling like miniature brown umbrellas, vividly embodying robust vitality.

The owner of the greenhouse is 28-year-old Xiang Zexin. When journalists met him, he was carefully inspecting the growth of the morel mushrooms. “I once tried growing Ganoderma but later found that morel mushrooms grow faster, provide stable returns, and are better suited to our local soil,” he said. In October 2025, optimistic about the market prospects for morel mushrooms, he leased 160 mu of land in Wolong Town and built standardized greenhouses.

“Township agricultural technicians often come to provide on-site guidance, teaching us the ‘two nets and three films’ technique step by step. When we face labor shortages, the village committee helps coordinate workers immediately,” Xiang said. In March, the morel mushroom harvest will enter its peak season, with labor demand surging to over three times that required during the preceding planting phase. The combined cultivation area for morel mushrooms in Xueliang Village and the adjacent Yuanxiang Village will exceed 5,000 mu. Key operational stages—including sowing, field management, harvesting, post-harvest sorting, and drying—will entail substantial labor input, creating significant local employment opportunities for nearby villagers.

Wang Yanlin, a villager in her fifties, is employed at Xiang’s base. As a seasoned worker, she remains on-site from greenhouse construction through to the conclusion of the harvest season—working for a minimum of four months. “I earn between 100 and 120 yuan per day, and I can still manage my family responsibilities. It’s highly convenient,” she said. According to Yu Juanjuan, a head of Wolong Town, the rapid growth of the morel mushroom industry has cultivated a substantial cohort of skilled workers like Wang Yanlin, who now serve across multiple cultivation bases throughout the town.

As the birthplace and core area of Xiangyang’s morel mushroom industry, Xiangcheng District has, in recent years, set the goal of “building a leading national hub for morel mushroom production,” promoting the industry from small-scale trials to large-scale development.

Currently, the district’s morel mushroom cultivation area exceeds 10,000 mu. By 2026, the total output value is expected to reach nearly 200 million yuan. Through a “bases + farmers” model, the industry is projected to create 150,000 person-times of employment annually and generate over 20 million yuan in labor income.

Xiangcheng District has developed a three-year action plan to establish the “Hanshui River Mushroom Valley’s Morel Mushroom Trading Center,” focusing on end-to-end development across strain R&D, large-scale cultivation, and market trading. The center will be equipped with supporting infrastructure, including cold-chain storage, quality testing laboratories, and logistics facilities. Scheduled for completion and commissioning in 2027, the center is projected to achieve an annual trading volume exceeding 5,000 tons.

“Through scientific cultivation, the 120 mu of morel mushrooms we planted this year are growing well, and a bumper harvest is now certain,” Xiang Zexin said confidently, gazing at clusters of fresh mushrooms in the greenhouse. “Next, I plan to collaborate closely with the district’s R&D team to introduce and screen high-yielding, elite fungal strains—building upon our existing technological foundation—and aim to scale up cultivation in the upcoming autumn to enhance both the quality and economic returns of morel mushroom production.”

Developing an industry, revitalizing the local economy, and improving livelihoods—these are the transformative outcomes driven by the humble morel mushroom. One harvest after another, these small yet valuable morel mushrooms are turning farmers’ aspirations for prosperity into reality. Each spring, they bloom across the landscape, painting a vivid picture of abundance and renewal.