Farmers harvest wild rice stems in Huangyan district, Taizhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

Huangyan district in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, is welcoming the harvest of wild rice stems.

At the planting base in Guan'ao village, fields of lush green wild rice stems sway in the breeze, filling the air with their fragrance as farmers are busy harvesting them.

Renowned as the "Hometown of Wild Rice Stems in China", Huangyan is one of the province's largest dual-season wild rice stem production bases. With an annual production exceeding 20,000 mu (1,333.33 hectares) and a yield of nearly 31,000 metric tons, the industry contributes over 160 million yuan ($22.51 million) in annual value.

Jiang Liangzhen, head of the Guan'ao Wild Rice Stem Professional Cooperative, shared their sustainable farming practices, including insecticidal lamps and organic fertilizers, leading to high-yield and premium-quality wild rice stems with a superior taste.

This year's autumn harvest is on par with last year, with prices rising to 6 yuan per kilogram. Initial market offerings of 2,500 kg per day are struggling to meet the surging demand, said Jiang.

In about 20 days, Huangyan's wild rice stems will flood the market, delighting consumers until the end of November.