Moss grown in Laozhu She ethnic town, Liandu district, Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat ID: ls-mnews]

In Laozhu She ethnic town, Liandu district, Lishui, Zhejiang province, farmers were busy intercropping moss among forests and rice fields on Dec 10.

The town's humid climate and lush forests provide ideal conditions for moss growth. In 2023, Lishui Runsheng Moss Technology Co, China's first specialized moss cultivation company, partnered with the town to develop unique moss farming.

Chikeng village in this town signed an agreement with Lishui Runsheng Moss Technology Co, which provides free moss seedlings, technical training, and guaranteed market-price purchases. The village's 133,300-square-meter Torreya grandis planting area is flourishing with sand moss and is expected to boost the village's annual income by 1.6 million yuan ($220,685).

Following the success of intercropping moss with Torreya grandis, the same this is being tried with oil-tea camellia, corn, and post-harvest rice, which promotes the industry's development.

Moss, once used primarily for miniature landscapes, now plays a significant role in environmental greening, ecological restoration, and even medical health. Moss for ecological projects currently makes up about 60 percent of total sales.

"This year, we received orders from South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, and the United States. Annual moss exports are expected to exceed 30 million yuan after securing export permits by year-end," said Liang He, a representative from Lishui Runsheng Moss Technology Co.