Guizhou Duyun's sphagnum moss in high demand in Japan

Recently, 4,600 acres of sphagnum moss planted in Duyun Maojian county were sold to Chinese Taiwan and Japan, with annual sales amounting to 15 million yuan.

"In recent years, the price of sphagnum moss has been soaring from 10 to 20 yuan per kg. Motivated by economic factors, local villagers have expanded the cultivated area to 4,600 acres since 2000. If it brings in 8,000 yuan per acre, this moss would enable us to increase per capita income of over 1,800 yuan. Now planting moss has become another pillar industry," said local villager Xu Shaolong with gladness.

It may seem strange that sphagnum moss in Duyun can dominate the foreign market. One important fact is that the local moss's quality benefits from the high-altitude environment, rich water resources and wet soils.

Ou Guanfen, a successful youth, reportedly sold Guizhou sphagnum moss as far abroad as Europe, America and Japan. He stressed again that Guizhou's moss is of a higher quality than other areas after his field study.

Besides, some voices in support of the moss speak loudly for Guizhou sphagnum moss on the international market.

Early in 2014, Zhu Guojin, general manager of Guizhou Gaoyuan Farm Products and Resources Development Co Ltd, Guizhou's main moss producer, pointed out that Guizhou's production of sphagnum moss accounts for 80 percent across the country. Meanwhile, moss is widely used in many fields, such as as a cultivation medium for flowers and medical study, which stimulates global consumption.

However, constricted by the limited area it is planted in, Guizhou sphagnum moss still has a long way to "boom".