Leading Villagers to Prosperity Through Planting Bamboo Fungus
Chen Xiuli (1st L) working with her fellow villagers to harvest bamboo fungus
In Nanping, southeast China’s Fujian Province, a woman villager has established the first fruit-and-vegetable women’s cooperative, leading the whole village in striving for economic prosperity.Chen Xiuli, a middle-aged mother of two in Shunchang, a county under the administration of Nanping, suggested planting bamboo fungus under the local trees because underplanting can save land and cultivation costs and promote the growth of trees.
As a result of her efforts, Shunchang is now known as ‘home of the bamboo fungus’, with output there accounting for 16 percent of the national yield.
Creating More Demand
“Lack of acce to markets is the major reason why villagers are held back economically,” said Chen.“Geographical isolation, poor infrastructure and lack of information or sales channels means that many villagers have no idea how to sell their farm produce.”
Chen was born in Dali town in Shunchang County.In the summer of 1990, she set up a stand to sell some agricultural products in the town.One day, a paer-by asked her whether she would like to help him purchase a load of watermelons, and she said yes.She was extremely happy when the paer-by afterwards gave her 20 yuan (US$ 3.3) as compensation for delaying her half-day busine, because at that time the daily wages of local farmers was only 3 yuan (US$ 0.49 dollars).
The watermelon growers also thanked her for helping their busine.It was then that the idea came to her to collect and sell bamboo fungus outside the village.When she heard that the
purchase price of bamboo fungus in Jianou, a county-level city of Nanping, was much higher than
in her village, she and her best friends, Zhang Fengdi and Xie Yayu, decided to collect bamboo fungus in Dali and its neighboring villages and then transport them to Jianou.
“We did not have cellphones at that time so we had to go door-to-door on foot to ask the villagers whether they had any bamboo fungus for us to collect.We carried the collected bamboo fungus to Chen’s home and then transported them to Jianou.I was exhausted all the time because I would not be home until midnight but still had to get up early the next day to prepare breakfast for my family,” said Zhang.
In 1995, the women collected 1,000 kilos of bamboo fungus and netted 100 yuan (US$ 16.3) in profit.It was then that they thought about asking the other villagers to help them.
In 1996, 14 villagers joined Chen’s group to collect bamboo fungus, with at least two villagers responsible for each village.The volume of collected bamboo fungus surged and at the same time profits climbed gradually.
Some time later, they expanded their range to watermelons, oranges, mao bamboo, chestnuts and more.According to statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics on January 4, 2013, the per capita annual income of farmers in Fujian Province was 9,967yuan (US$ 1,624), but each member of Chen’s team earned over 20,000 yuan (over US$ 3,258).
Establishing a Cooperative
In 2010, Chen and seven other women set up a cooperative specializing in fruits and vegetables.“Although there are a small number of cooperatives in Nanping, Chen’s has done exceptionally well in improving farmers’ acce to city markets to sell their agricultural produce,” said an official from the Nanping Agricultural Bureau.
“Everyone likes working with her because she is a trustworthy leader.Although she is the organizer, she does not get additional benefits.She even bought some tools with her own money.She has the ability to unite us,” said Zhang.
Chen and her team have also encountered several challenges.Once, a truck that was taking a load of bamboo fungus to deliver to the purchaser met with an accident and the driver died.It was Spring Festival at the time and Chen and Zhang had to rush to the nearest village for help.To make matters worse, the buyer refused to purchase the produce because he thought they brought ‘bad luck’.
A Big Family
Making money is not the only aim of the cooperative.The members have found that the cooperative is also a form of support in daily life as well.
In the autumn of 2012, cooperative member Liu Jinfeng’s husband fell ill and was unable to
harvest their 5 mu （0.05 hectares）of land.Chen and 30 other cooperative members helped Liu to bring in the harvest.
In addition, the cooperative regularly visits elderly villagers who live alone, those who are disabled, as well as orphans and needy children.They also hold gatherings on International Women’s Day and at the end of the bamboo fungus harvest.
“Our working conditions have greatly improved, but there are still some problems that need to be fixed,” said Chen.She has been going for profeional training seions to upgrade her leadership skills.“My family could not afford to educate me when I was young.Now that I have more acce to education, I’m determined to learn as much as I can,” she concluded.
《林下竹荪熟了，山沟沟女人“抱团”发展笑意浓》
6、7月，福建顺昌的女人们，带着笑意穿梭林间，采摘刚刚成熟的菌菇——竹荪。这些女人来自“山沟沟”，由她们创新培育种植的“杉沟源”牌竹荪，已在各种展销会上得到外国友人、客商的称赞。
福建顺昌县是中国“竹荪之乡”，竹荪产量占全国的15.6%。过去靠竹荪种植富了许多村民。如今，随着多年的种植，竹荪的产量越来越低，种竹荪的村民越来越少，制约了竹荪产业的发展，有些村民甚至打起了主意：将林地改为烟田。顺昌县山多，但为了保护生态，林子不能砍。能否将竹荪从大田“搬”到林下仿生态栽培呢？让村民不砍树也致富。山沟沟果蔬合作社理事长陈秀丽想：能不能发展林下经济，利用林地空间生态种植竹荪，树枝叶遮荫免搭棚，省工省本，提高土地利用率。同时，腐烂在地里的培养料疏松土壤为林竹生长提供有机肥料，促进了林竹的快速生长，形成菌林共生的生态群落，解决菌与稻、烟等农作物“争地”的矛盾，促进竹荪产业转型升级和持续发展，把经济发展与生态保护紧密结合，走一条生态与经济协调发展、人与自然和谐相处的绿色崛起之路。她的想法与顺昌县大历镇科技特派员高允旺在“拉家常”时不谋而合，他们在顺昌县供销社支持下，选定阔叶林、毛竹林、杉木林三种不同的林地种2亩作示范地，取得林下经济中“林菌模式”成功，预计亩产干品竹荪45公斤，产值9000元，实现“生态美和百姓富”的有机统一。这是“山沟沟”女人的又一个创举。
这个创办了山沟沟果蔬专业合作社的女人叫陈秀丽，只要在当地一打听她，许多农户手机里都有她的手机号码，不管家里是收成了笋、板锥栗还是西瓜，他们总会拨打这个号码，让陈秀丽前来收购。每到农作物收成的节令， 陈秀丽便派出小分队收购菌菇、笋菜，去冬今春，她已为周边地区购销冬、春笋100多万公斤。从2009年迄今，陈秀丽和她的姐妹们创办的山沟沟果蔬专业合作社，每年组织各村妇女购销柑桔、西瓜、板锥栗等时令农副产品达500多万公斤。
陈秀丽的山沟沟果蔬专业合作社原来仅有7名股东，去年发展至52人，人均分红8000多元，2013年初进一步壮大，股金扩展至120万元，入社社员113人，其中有53名二女结扎户、独生子女户等育龄妇女，成为南平市首家由育龄农村妇女组织参股的专业合作社。“山沟沟”如今已拥有核心种养基地1670亩，带动周边高阳、岚下等乡镇800多位农户，辐射基地种养面积8000多亩，成为顺昌
县“生育关怀·幸福工程项目基地”、南平市“示范专业合作社”、福建省“农村妇女双学双比巾帼示范基地”。陈秀丽理事长因此先后荣获顺昌县“双学双比竞赛活动流通女能手”、南平市“三八红旗手”等荣誉称号，2013年被全国妇联评为“全国农村科技致富女能手”。
从一车西瓜到流通大户
“如果没有那车西瓜，我现在还只是一个围着丈夫孩子和锅台转的农村家庭妇女，还在镇里的农贸市场摆摊。”44岁的陈秀丽说。
陈秀丽原是大历镇立墩村民，与不少农村孩子一样，有着艰难的成长经历。15岁时父亲去世，自强自立的她为了贴补家用，小学毕业后就到运输公司跟车卖票，到筷子厂打工„„但这些都不足以完成她改善家中窘况的愿望。21岁那年，她嫁给大历村同龄人徐太诗，就在镇上摆摊设点卖些农副产品。
1990年夏天，一位过路的客户见她卖的西瓜个大瓢，在她摊前徘徊许久问她能否帮他进一车西瓜。爽快的陈秀丽答应帮助他到村里西瓜大户收瓜，但因为耽搁了下午的生意要求能否给20元作为补偿。陈秀丽开心地说，当时农民一天工钱仅3元，20元补偿款可谓是一笔大数目。
这趟生意，自己不仅赚了钱，邻里乡亲和客户都十分感谢她。有了第一次的成功，陈秀丽琢磨着如何将山里的东西卖到山外？1995年，陈秀丽已是两个年幼女儿的母亲。是年春节，她到建瓯市房道镇姐夫家玩，打听到姐夫朋友在做竹笋流通，每公斤的收购价比大历及其周边乡镇高出不少。她与姐夫商量得到允诺返乡后，与要好的姐妹张凤娣和谢雅玉商量到各村收笋。
“那时没有手机，我们三个人就一个村一个村的走，有笋就收来，挑到镇里的陈秀丽家，最后集中雇车运往建瓯。”张凤娣回忆当时的艰辛说。我们收笋一般是下午出发，收回集中到陈秀丽家，经常是傍晚甚至半夜，睡不了一会儿，第二天一早又得起来给丈夫孩子做饭，那段时间累得是一趴到桌上就睡着。
“第一车收了1000公斤笋，净赚了100元，可扣除自己的差旅费和损耗仅基本保本，真有点灰心不想干了。”谢雅玉接过话茬。陈秀丽坚持干下去，说从乡下挑出来那么累都熬过来了，与其在家闲着还不如去闯。
大家都觉得笋要有量才有赚头，要多找些人手帮忙。商量后，大家各村回村发展人帮忙收购，然后统一挑到陈秀丽家里，由陈秀丽联系对外销售。第二年，陈秀
丽的“姐妹团”发展到了14个人，每村基本有2人，冬春笋的收购量也开始大幅度上升，这个育龄妇女小团体逐渐开始有了盈利。
她们还把销售范围扩大到西瓜、柑橘、毛竹、板锥栗等其它品种，只要是当地有的，外面有人需要的，都成了陈秀丽的销售对象，妇女姐妹们一年到头的时间，也被排得满当当。如今，她们年均分红年加上自家田地、山林的农副产品销售，每人每年收入都能达到2万多元。
合作互助“抱团”闯市场
2010年，陈秀丽与7名妇女骨干一道共同入股成立了山沟沟果蔬专业合作社。南平市农业局经营管理站站长游生嫩说：“南平市由妇女组成的合作社比较少，全由计划生育的育龄妇女组成的合作社山沟沟是首家，更为可贵的是她们不仅在生产上而且在流通上，将山区农副产品推向城里。”
“山沟沟”能有今天，在“娘子军”背后，是丈夫们默默无闻的支持。收笋车坏在半路是常有的事，一个电话老公们都会赶到现场。张凤娣的老公就是姐妹们眼中的“模范丈夫”，每次遭遇难题总能在现场看到他的身影。
让陈秀丽印象最深刻的，是那次与死亡擦肩而过。“那次我和凤娣押车去卖货，晚上10点多开到离岚下一公里的地方连人带车一起翻进了田里，司机当场死亡。那时快过年了，天气特别冷，四下无人，我们俩哭着光着脚跑去附近的村子找人救援。”陈秀丽说，那件事后她好几天睡不着觉，“收笋人还说是死人的笋，不能要，当时真的都想放弃了，但想想这么多姐妹，自己还是决定坚持。”
“抱团”闯市场除了能致富，让她们愿意坚持下来的就是社员姐妹们之间的相互支持。山沟沟有个不成文的“互助制”，姐妹间谁有困难，大家都义不容辞相互帮忙。2012年秋，刘锦凤丈夫患病，5亩稻田没人收割，陈秀丽组织30多名姐妹和各自丈夫帮助她收割。每年的“三八”节和一年收笋结束的那天，陈秀丽附近的20多位姐妹都会固定在一起‘过节’。”大家一起买菜做饭，各展厨艺，有说有笑，像全家人一起过年一样开心。
大家也喜欢跟着陈秀丽干。“管账”多年的张凤娣说：“这么多年了，她做事总是让人心服口服，没因为自己是组织者就多收一分，称啊，工具啊，也都是她自己掏钱买的。我们也愿意跟着她干，好像她有种天生的号召力，交给她我们放心。”忙里忙外，陈秀丽并不觉得当“头”吃亏，“其实不吃亏，我现在认识的朋友一
年比一年多，要找客户的时候，这些朋友总开玩笑说他们愿意像全球通一样，帮我找号码。”
2012年，陈秀丽与她的姐妹们还发起组织了全省第一个农民志愿者服务队。将爱心互助扩展到社会。是年春节，志愿者姐妹们到洋后毛根土、前洋何亦锐等孤寡、残疾老人家上门送温暖献爱心，帮助收拾卫生，老人们现在逢人便夸；寿山寺庙老阿婆去年手脚不慎摔断，志愿者姐妹们献爱心之余，不忘分批轮流上门看望；白沟村与祖母相依为命的12岁孤儿高一凡，不忘是“爱心妈妈”陈秀丽让他树起对生活的勇气和学习的信心„„
陈秀丽说，比起以前肩挑手提的日子，现在的条件好了很多，但要面临的问题也更多了。2006年，陈秀丽主动参加省妇联主办的农场品经纪人培训，前不久，她又报名参加了顺昌县举办的合作社理事长培训。“以前没条件读书，现在有机会了，肯定要多学点。”陈秀丽说。
