Development Situations and Countermeasures of Gastrodia elata Industry in Zhaotong City

Xuewei ZHU, Qifa LI, Yujie HE

College of City Construction, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China

Abstract With the rapid development of technology, people’s living standards have been greatly improved, and more and more people have started to care more about the theory and health preservation function of TCM.Gastrodia elata, as a precious Chinese herbal medicine, is harmless to human health.Due to the high economic benefits and real benefits for farmers, the G.elata industry has developed rapidly.Zhaotong is the hometown of G.elata f.glauca in China, but the current situation of the G.elata industry lags behind other producing areas.Through field survey and literature review, this paper comprehensively analyzed the development status of the G.elata industry in Zhaotong City.Combined with the natural conditions, policy conditions, and socio-economic conditions of the G.elata industry in Zhaotong City to find countermeasures and recommendations to promote the further development of the G.elata industry in Zhaotong and provide recommendations for the sustainable development of G.elata industry.

Key words Gastrodia elata in Zhaotong, Current situations of Gastrodia elata industry, Two varieties of bacteria planting

1 Introduction

Gastrodiaelatais not only a high-quality food and medicine processing material.but also a natural resource for farmers in poor areas to get rid of poverty and become rich.At present, China has thousands of enterprises and cooperatives engaged inG.elata, and there are 150 000 farmers participating in theG.elatacultivation.G.elataindustry has become a nationwide under-forest economy, high-efficiency agriculture in mountainous areas, and an effective industry for targeted poverty alleviation, and a healthy poverty alleviation industry that combines primary, secondary and tertiary industries.

Zhaotong City is located in the junction of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, and is currently a major origin ofG.elataproduction in the world.Especially, Zhaoyang District of Zhaotong City is rich in wildG.elata, forests, and ecological resources, has good natural ecological conditions and good location advantages, especially in the areas above Erbanshan Mountain, where it is cloudy and rainy and foggy throughout the year, and the climate is humid and cool, which provides a good ecological natural environment for the breeding, growth and development of wildG.elata.The cultivated land suitable for planting wildG.elatais more than 1 333.33 ha, so theG.elataindustry has good development prospects.In the development process in recent decades, ZhaotongG.elatahas become famous in both the domestic and foreign markets for its unique quality[1].

Known as the capital ofG.elataand the hometown ofG.elatain China, Zhaotong is the core area and main producing area ofG.elatawith the best quality.It is also nationally recognized as the main production area ofG.elata.According to statistics from Zhaotong Bureau of Gastrodia and Specialty Products, the planting area ofG.elatain 2018 was only 5 436.67 ha, which has driven tens of thousands of registered poor farmers to get rid of poverty.At the end of 2015, the total planting area ofG.elatain Zhaoyang District was 466.67 ha, and the fungus forest was 1 866.67 ha.Two high-qualityG.elataculture bases, 2G.elataproduction companies, 3G.elataplanting companies, and 8G.elataprofessional planting cooperatives were established[1].

In recent years, Yunnan Province has successively formulated local and national standards, laying a foundation for the development of theG.elataindustry and the leading position ofG.elataindustry in Yunnan Province.The Zhaotong Municipal Party Committee and the municipal government have taken the development and planting of theG.elataindustry as the characteristic industry development of Zhaotong City, and established Zhaotong Bureau of Gastrodia and Specialty Products to professionally manage and operate theG.elataindustry and incorporate it into the future planning and construction.In addition, it has formulated a series of support policies and measures for the development ofG.elataindustry.

G.elataindustrial economy is one of the emerging characteristic industries in Zhaotong City.Zhaotong is the national core industrial area with the best production quality ofG.elata.Therefore, accelerating the integration and development of theG.elataindustry in Zhaotong is helpful for Yunnan Province accelerating Zhaotong’s transformation and reform of economic and social development management methods, adjusting the agricultural economic organization structure, and adjusting the internal structure of Zhaotong’s agricultural economy[2].The advantages ofG.elatabio-resource development in Zhaotong have been gradually transformed into more advantages in agricultural economic development.Zhaotong City has found a road ofG.elataindustry economic development that conforms to local reality and has local cultural characteristics.

2 Existing problems of G.elata industry in Zhaotong City

2.1 Not standardized plantingZhaotongG.elatavariety and Zhaotong area bacteria(germination bacteria and symbiotic Armillaria mellea)have outstanding species advantages in planting.ZhaotongG.elataindustry has been widely promoted in the market through the breeding of "Zhaotong Gastrodia", and has been providingG.elataseeds and strains to theG.elataplanting area in Zhaotong City, ensuring the authentic quality of "ZhaotongG.elata".In 2009, Zhaotong City completed the separation and purification of Zhaotong two varieties of bacteria, which made a breakthrough in key technology ofG.elataplanting.However, due to various factors, this technology has not been widely promoted and applied.In addition, the promotion and training of standardized planting technology ofG.elatain Zhaotong City are not sufficient, and there are lack of scientific planting technical talents.All of these affect the quality and benefits ofG.elataproducts.Furthermore, the standards for plantingG.elata, the quality of the two varieties of bacteria, and the technical specifications for planting are not complete.As a result, theG.elataproduction in Zhaotong is insufficient and there is serious shortage of raw material supply, which restrict the progress of the processing industry and the development of the overallG.elataindustry[3].

2.2 Weak and backward research and developmentThe good effects of ZhaotongG.elata, such as calming the nerves, improving sleep, and treating middle-aged women with headaches, have been empirically verified by quite a few consumer groups, so its market potential is huge.Especially in recent years, the market effect of "Tianma Xingnao Capsule" of Yongzitang Pharmaceutical is very representative and convincing.However, due to the blank of planting and production technology, the serious lack of basic research such as the pharmacological function ofG.elata, and the scattered investment of related resources, although ZhaotongG.elatais a medicinal material and functional food, it lacks systematic research on pharmacology, toxicology and chemical components, and there is no adequate technical support for major key technology research and industrial development.Wang Weizhong, now Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology and former Deputy Mayor of Zhaotong City, clearly pointed out: "ZhaotongG.elatahas the basic factors to become stronger and bigger in the country, but the solution of stable raw material planting production technology and pharmacological function research is two essential conditions for development of ZhaotongG.elata".

2.3 Insufficient investment in industrial developmentThe development of ZhaotongG.elataindustry mainly relies on investment in industrial development.There are common problems such as local financial difficulties, insufficient government guidance for funds, less access to social funds, difficulties for small and medium-sized enterprises to borrow money, and financing difficulties[4].Due to insufficient investment, the foundation of ZhaotongG.elataindustry is insufficient, and many basic and public problems related to the development of the industry, such as public brand building, have not been well resolved.

3 Countermeasures for development of G.elata industry in Zhaotong City

3.1 Strengthening the infrastructure construction of ZhaotongG.elataindustryIt is recommended to achieve the goal of large-scale production of fine seeds and two varieties of bacteria, and accelerate the large-scale popularization and application of local improved varieties and breeding of two varieties.According to field survey, the current production and supply capacity of high-quality two varieties of bacteria in Zhaotong City is imbalanced with the needs ofG.elatafarmers, and there is a big gap.Therefore, it is extremely necessary to promote the integration of existing resources for the production of high-quality two varieties of bacteria, build a new standardized bacteria plant[5], and expand the production scale of high-quality two varieties of bacteria forG.elatain Zhaotong City.The current relevant policies and methods should focus on formulating standardized whole-process planting technologies and promoting the application and popularization of standard planting technologies, and accelerating the establishment of two varieties of bacteria planting production standards and technical specifications.

3.2 Making efforts to promote the full-process standard planting technology of ZhaotongG.elata(i)It is recommended to adopt the full-process standard planting technology training method, popularize the standard planting technology, and convey the new technology toG.elatafarmers, so as to realize the simultaneous improvement ofG.elatayield and quality.(ii)It is recommended to implement local financial encouragement policies, and provide economic subsidies toG.elatafarmers who purchase qualified two varieties of bacteria to plantG.elata, and promote the initiative of localG.elatafarmers to inherit and developG.elata[6].

3.3 Encouraging and supportingG.elataenterprises to establish high-quality raw material baseIt is recommended to adopt targeted investment, targeted service, targeted acquisition and other precise targeted methods to establish a stable raw material supply contractual relationship and interest linkage mechanism withG.elatafarmers to form an interest chain community.Besides, it is recommended to consolidate and strengthen basic research and development, accelerate the construction of the "ZhaotongG.elata" independent intellectual property system, and encourage theG.elataindustry to make technological innovations through institutional policies and measures.

4 Conclusions

Zhaotong is the core area and main producing area ofG.elatawith the best quality.The development of theG.elataindustry is helpful for accelerating the development of local modern agriculture, increasing the added value of agricultural products, and is favorable for helping poor people to get rid of poverty as soon as possible.