Shen Haiying, a farmer from Longsheng village in Huzhou's Deqing county, harvest Zaoyuan bamboo shoots. [Photo/hz66.com]

Farmers from Huzhou, a city in East China's Zhejiang province, have recently commenced the early harvest of bamboo shoots, a cherished spring delicacy. 

Employing innovative techniques such as rice bran coverings and organic fertilizer, farmers have successfully brought the local Zaoyuan bamboo shoots to the market two to three months earlier than their natural spring growth cycle, as shared by Shen Haiying, a farmer from Longsheng village in Huzhou's Deqing county.

Shen mentioned, however, that due to reduced rainfall at the end of last year, some of the bamboo shoots have a reduced moisture content, resulting in a drier texture and, subsequently, a decrease in price compared to last year.

Nevertheless, this year's harvest promises to be bountiful, as Shen and her husband are tasked with harvesting over 500 kilograms of Zaoyuan bamboo shoots daily.

The bamboo shoot industry has been a vital source of income for Longsheng, offering a relatively stable livelihood for local residents. The bamboo plantation spans over 8,000 mu (533 hectares) in the village, producing up to 2,000 kg of bamboo shoots per mu annually. It is estimated that cultivating Zaoyuan bamboo shoots can yield an income of 20,000 ($2,780) to 30,000 yuan per mu.

The harvested produce from the bamboo shoot farmers will be uniformly packaged and distributed to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and other locations through e-commerce platforms such as JD.com and Hema. On average, they dispatch 15,000 to 20,000 kg per day, according to Ji Liangliang, a Zaoyuan bamboo shoot seller.