Yacon is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and other nutrients, and has high medicinal and edible value. The yacon planting area in Dongshan Town, Mile City, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, is busy, and workers are packing sorted yacon fruits into boxes in the field.
Yacon fruit harvesting and loading truck (photo by Ma Liju)
The high altitude of Dongshan Town, the abundant sunlight, the climate, soil and other conditions are suitable for the growth of yacon, the yacon here has thin skin and crisp flesh, sweet and juicy, coupled with the high yield of yacon, easy to plant, easy to manage, and can fill the "empty window" of idle land in autumn and winter after the harvest of previous crops, so it is very popular with consumers and growers.
Freshly dug yacon fruit (photo by Ma Liju)
In recent years, Dongshan Town has actively explored the industrial integration model of "grain + cash crops", relying on the advantages of local natural resources, making full use of the infrastructure such as pools, water cellars, and mechanized farming roads invested and constructed by the tobacco department, and developing yacon characteristic industries in Shemu, Xinzhai Village and other places according to local conditions, paving a way for the masses to increase income and get rich.
Yacon field management (photo by Ma Liju)
Zhang Shiqing, a 49-year-old resident of Shemu Village, has been growing yacon since 2018. Zhang Shiqing planted 28 acres of yacon last year, with an income of more than 20 yuan, and this year he transferred another 12 acres of land, and the planting area of yacon expanded to 40 acres.
Superior planting conditions make the local yacon industry bigger and bigger, but also attracted growers from other places, Zhou Jianzhong from Luxi County, Yunnan Province last year in Dongshan Town transferred 70 acres of land to plant yacon, 23 acres are currently being excavated, the estimated output value of more than 60 yuan.
Zhou Jianzhong inspected the retention of yacon seeds (photo by Ma Liju)
"Yacon fruit can be harvested from October to March, and the harvesting period is as long as 5-6 months. This season alone, I have an income of more than 10,000 yuan. Han Lifen, a villager in Shemu Village, said.
In 2023, in addition to developing 15,000 acres of yacon, Dongshan Town will also vigorously develop other crops, including 1,000 acres of sweet potatoes, 5,000 acres of marigolds, and more than 2,000 acres of tartary buckwheat, with an output value of more than 9,000 yuan. Diversification has driven the local people to achieve employment at the "doorstep", and the local people's income has increased by more than 1,000 yuan. (Reporter Zheng Yi Correspondent Ma Liju)