At 7 am, villager Li Yongxiu has already started working with a bamboo basket and a small rake to harvest black truffles deep in the forest. "We didn't realize the value of truffles until recently," Li says, noting that mature truffles emit a distinctive scent that often lures animals that dig them out.
With over 2,800 hours of annual sunshine and nearly 75 percent forest coverage, Yongren county provides ideal growing conditions for truffles. The county produces about 50 metric tons of truffles annually, contributing a significant share to China's total output.
Premium truffles from Yongren now fetch up to 850 yuan ($120) per kilogram, and picking truffles has become a key source of additional income for local farmers. Li can earn more than 4,000 yuan during each harvesting season, while skilled pickers can make an extra 10,000 yuan or more.
To protect this unique resource, Yongren county has designated over 50,000 mu (3,333 hectares) to wild mushroom conservation and propagation bases, and bans truffle picking from March 1 to Oct 31 to ensure better protection and quality, according to Wang Jianbiao, deputy chief of the county's forestry and grassland administration.
In major producing areas, more than two training sessions are held annually to teach farmers how to identify mature truffles and adopt proper picking methods.
To extend the industry chain and increase added value, local businesses have developed processed products such as canned truffles, truffle mooncakes and truffle chocolate.
"Processing turns truffles into affordable delicacies for ordinary families," says Lei Jinyu, manager of Yongren Yesenda Mushroom Co.
Established in 2014, the company has developed a series of truffle products, boosting its output value to over 40 million yuan in 2024, doubling the figure from the days when it sold only raw truffles.
