On December 10th, the commissioning ceremony for the Phase II project of the Black Morel (Boletus aereus) construction initiative in Zhenfeng County, Guizhou Province, was held in Zhenfeng County, Qianxinan Prefecture. This marks the official operational launch of China's largest industrialized production base for black morels. The project, invested in and constructed by Guizhou Hongzhen Fungus Industry Investment and Development Co., Ltd., stands as a significant achievement in Guizhou's efforts to develop distinctive and efficient agriculture and promote rural revitalization.

At the ceremony, Shi Wei, Chairman of Hongzhen Fungus Industry, introduced that the Phase II project involved a total investment of 350 million RMB and covers an area of 160 mu (approximately 10.7 hectares). It integrates advanced systems such as intelligent environmental control and automated production lines. Notably, it has achieved a key breakthrough in recycling technology, realizing major advancements including an 80% increase in the secondary utilization rate of cultivation bottles and a 35% boost in yield per bottle.

With Phase II reaching full production capacity, the total area of the Zhenfeng black morel production base now spans 280 mu (approx. 18.7 hectares). The overall annual production capacity is expected to rise to 8,500 tons, with an estimated annual output value of around 500 million RMB. This solidifies its position as China's largest industrialized black morel production base, ranking first in capacity among domestic factories of its kind. Guizhou Hongzhen Fungus Industry has become the sole high-tech agricultural enterprise globally to achieve large-scale, standardized, and year-round industrialized production of black morels. This signifies that China has reached internationally leading levels in the artificial cultivation of rare edible fungi.

Scene from the commissioning ceremony (Photo/Huang Feihong)

The project demonstrates not only significant technological and industrial value but also generates positive social benefits. Upon full operation, it will directly provide nearly 700 jobs. Combined with the upstream and downstream industrial chains it stimulates in logistics, packaging, and services, the project is expected to create over a thousand employment opportunities for the local area, effectively contributing to increased income and rural revitalization in Zhenfeng County and surrounding regions.

It is reported that Hongzhen Fungus Industry established itself in Zhenfeng in 2017 to develop the edible fungus industry on a large scale. The Phase I project was completed and put into operation in May 2021, with a total investment of 320 million RMB. It has already achieved its set targets of a daily output of 12 tons and an annual output of 4,300 tons. The successful completion of Phase II has benefited from the favorable business environment fostered by governments at all levels in Guizhou Province and Qianxinan Prefecture, as well as strong support for the agricultural technology industry. It also represents the fruits of the enterprise team's persistent innovation and problem-solving efforts.

Shi Wei stated that the company will continue to uphold the philosophy of innovation-driven and green development in the future. It plans to further deepen industry-university-research collaboration, expand product deep-processing and market channels, and is committed to building "Zhenfeng Black Morel" into a nationally renowned specialty agricultural product brand. The aim is to contribute to the high-quality development of modern agriculture and the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas in Guizhou.