Foreigners learn mushroom cultivation skills in Xi'an

Wang Zhengrong (R), answers foreign students' questions at the mushroom cultivation base in Xi'an city, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, Sept 30, 2015. [Photo/CFP]

A mushroom cultivation base in Northwest China has seen nearly 70 foreigners from the US, France, Australia, Italy and Argentina acquire the crop growing skills, the Huashang Daily reported on Monday.

Wang Zhengrong, an expert in nurturing the fungi after graduating from a microbiology major at Northwest University in 1989, taught the foreign students at the base in Weiyang district, Xi'an city.

She uses wheat straw, corn stalks and peanut shells as source materials to grow the crop at the largest base in Northwest China. "Foreigners want to learn our method to cultivate more mushrooms which are very popular in their diet," said Wang.

Foreign students there are mainly young men. Some intend to inherit family farms; some use the opportunity to enrich their knowledge, while others choose the mushroom market to start up businesses.