Highland Fritillaria Cultivation Boosts Local Incomes in Ngawa, Sichuan

Dragon Media News Desk

Commercial cultivation of highland fritillaria, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, is emerging as an important source of income for farmers and herders in Ngawa County, Sichuan Province, China.

The harvest season for cultivated fritillaria is now underway. At a plantation operated by Shenyuan Agricultural Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. in Ngawa County, local farmers and herders are busy digging up the bulbs, sorting them, cleaning them and drying them in the sun.

The company said it follows standardised, precise and environmentally responsible harvesting procedures to maintain product quality. The bulbs are carefully dug out to minimise damage and are then graded according to size and quality.

According to Wang Pan, the person in charge of the cultivation base, the company currently operates 468 mu of standardised fritillaria plantations. Dried output ranges from 80 to 100 kilograms per mu, while the annual production value of the entire base is estimated at around 10 million yuan.

Wang said the high-altitude environment provides favourable natural conditions for producing high-quality fritillaria.

The industry has also created additional employment and income opportunities for local communities. Last year, the cultivation base provided more than 3,000 work opportunities to local residents and paid approximately 400,000 yuan in wages.

Many nearby residents now earn income both from leasing their land and from working at the plantation.

Local worker Danba Reji said he could earn more than 3,000 yuan after working for just over 20 days at the base. He added that the workplace is only about a 10-minute journey from his home, making it far more convenient than travelling into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs as he did previously.

The company is also encouraging residents to participate not only as workers but as independent growers. Around 200 households have been supported in developing fritillaria cultivation, with the company purchasing their produce through a unified procurement system.

The arrangement has helped reduce uncertainty over market access while allowing local families to earn income both from employment and from their own agricultural production.

Looking ahead, the company plans to further improve cultivation techniques, expand the planting area, strengthen processing and value-chain development, and enhance the market influence of its products.

Further research and development are also expected in areas including fritillaria powder processing, extraction of medicinal components and commercial use of its flowers.

By linking the ecological advantages of the highlands with medicinal agriculture and local employment, the fritillaria industry is helping create a new foundation for rural income growth in Ngawa County.