Lotus industry flourishes in saline-alkali land village

Every year before the Mid-Autumn Festival arrives, the breathtaking view of green lotus leaves in ponds are a major tourist attraction in Caoyi village of Wucheng county, Dezhou, Shandong province, luring visitors nationwide at a time when the scorching summer heat starts to cool down.

However, it is rarely known that this very village is faced with a barren land that is covered with a layer of white salt crust on the soil surface, making crop cultivation a headache.

Therefore, local Party members of the village came up with ideas on lotus and lotus root cultivation, and established a professional cooperative to this end, to develop the industry. So far, a total of over 500 mu (33.3 hectares) of land has been converted to 64 lotus ponds.

"Our white lotus roots are enjoying great popularity in the market. Many traders come to village to purchase them," said Yu Baofeng, a Party member in Caoyi, adding that with more experience in lotus cultivation now, the village is developing crayfish business in the lotus ponds.

Caoyi is producing 400 metric tons of lotus roots and 37.5 tons of crayfish annually, reaping a yearly income of over 300,000 yuan.

Villagers can also receive dividends thanks to the flouring businesses. In March, the corresponding cooperative was named as a model among its peers nationwide.

In May, the village hosted its first crayfish festival to attract more buyers.

Referring to the future plan, Yu said: "We plan to learn about lotus powder and freeze-dried lotus slices processing, and further the lotus cultivation chain. Also, by hosting more cultural and tourism events, we aim to develop rural tourism and attract nearby residents to enjoy the lotus view in different seasons. We also plan to develop attractions for fishing, crayfish gourmet festival, and harvesting lotus seed and lotus roots. We believe such efforts will drive further employment, increase income and help promote the rural revitalization progress of our country."