Jiaxing has in recent years given full play to the role of agricultural science and technological innovation platforms, helping the city transform from a traditional agricultural city to a modern one.

In 2019, the Pinghu Innovation Center of the Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University in Zhejiang province introduced rare edible mushrooms such as morel and wine cap stropharia.

Morel has high nutritional value and high profits, but in the process of growing it, many farmers are discouraged by the high requirements for late management technology.

In the season when morels are widely available, their price is maintained at 100 yuan ($14.35) to 160 yuan per kilogram, while the price of dried morels is kept at 1,000 yuan to 1,200 yuan per kg. The morel is sold at such a high price because it is popular among foreign consumers.

Pinghu in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province has a strong edible mushroom industry with a history of more than 40 years. In order to strengthen the promotion of technology, Pinghu also held on-site meetings to teach farmers about the industry.

The Pinghu Innovation Center of the Yangtze Delta Region Institute of the Tsinghua University Institute in Zhejiang tried an innovative inter-planting technique, which allowed farmers to make full use of slack time to harvest fruits in summer and mushrooms in winter, thereby increasing output.

In addition, the institute can provide corresponding technical support for farmers.

In the future, it will be able to provide seeds and technical training for farmers and help them carry out large-scale planting. After planting, it will help provide sales channels, thus forming a complete industrial chain and helping realize rural vitalization.

Morels are grown in an edible mushroom demonstration base of the Pinghu Innovation Center of the Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University in Zhejiang province. [Photo/jiaxingren.com]