Huanan, Heilongjiang: dig deep into the value of perilla to grow the industrial chain

The article highlights the success of the Huanan Forestry Bureau in Heilongjiang, China, in cultivating perilla, a plant with strong adaptability and high α-linolenic acid content, across 100,000 mu of land, making it the largest centralized planting base in the country. This venture has not only found favor in the domestic market, including Japan and South Korea, but has also been recognized as a 'National Geographical Indication Protected Product' by the former Ministry of Agriculture. The bureau's efforts do not stop there; they have established Nongshengyuan Food Co., Ltd. to further process perilla, creating a comprehensive agricultural industry encompassing product research, deep processing, sales, and export. In 2019, the company's total output value was 15 million yuan. Additionally, the bureau is exploring the cultivation of sea-buckthorn, a 'golden fruit', in converted farmland to forest land, with over 60 farmers and a planting area of 24,031 mu, aiming to generate an output value of over 80 million yuan. This initiative is seen as a way to enhance employees' income and is part of a larger effort to develop the under-forest economy.