In Muchuan County, Leshan City, Sichuan Province, southwest China, more than 100 types of konjac products are produced, including konjac rice, konjac noodles, konjac knots and konjac jelly, which are exported to more than 60 countries and regions.
In Shuiyue Village, Dibao Township, Muchuan County, Deng Changwen planted 30 mu (2 hectares) of konjac, becoming a well-known large-scale producer in the area.
Konjac has very demanding growing conditions. Wang Mingcai, a resident of Shuiyue village, has been growing konjac for three years and has accumulated a wealth of experience. “For konjac to grow well, first and foremost, you need to choose the right variety,” he said.
Deng said: “In recent years, the departments of agriculture and rural affairs have been actively promoting new varieties of konjac, such as Muyu No. 1, which have greater drought and flood resistance.”
At the county’s konjac tissue culture center, tender shoots have emerged from newly grown konjac seedlings. “In recent years, we’ve been collaborating with institutions like Southwest University and the Leshan Academy of Agricultural Sciences to cultivate new varieties, including Muyu No. 1. These varieties are currently undergoing planting trials and will soon be widely distributed,” said Zhou Ming, director of the center.
When Mr. Wang first began planting konjac, he encountered numerous difficulties due to his lack of experience. At this critical moment, the Muchuan Konjac Association organized experts to provide on-site assistance and training in planting techniques.
In recent years, through training programs organized by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Muchuan Konjac Producers Association, Wang and Deng have mastered a number of new technologies.
At a konjac plantation in Muchuan County, Leshan City, Sichuan Province, foreign traders observe the konjac harvest in a greenhouse. (Photo/Lan Xiang)
The district has created standardized facilities for konjac cultivation by implementing a policy to support farmers in the construction of steel-framed greenhouses, the installation of drainage and irrigation canals, and the installation of drip irrigation equipment.
“We provide farmers building greenhouses with a subsidy of approximately 30%, and those building ponds with a subsidy based on the pond’s capacity,” said Lieshazi, deputy director of the Muchuan County Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Over the past five years, local authorities have invested over 60 million yuan (approximately $8.51 million) in building konjac farms and attracted over 400 million yuan in private capital.
Muchuan County also places a strong emphasis on institutional innovation. To establish a konjac cultivation base, Huayuan Village in Dibao Township established a village collective fund, investing in road construction with government subsidies. “We encourage collective investment in villages to strengthen the collective economy,” said Mr. Li. Currently, the standardized konjac cultivation area in Muchuan County exceeds 11,000 mu (approximately 733 hectares).
The final measure is expanding technological capabilities. At the demonstration park for the study and use of konjac in the district, greenhouses are used to demonstrate various konjac varieties and conduct seed selection.
“We will conduct trial plantings of new varieties within the park,” said Liao Yixing, secretary general of the Muchuan Konjac Association. The park is also exploring new planting methods, such as intercropping konjac with corn, to increase yield per unit area.
Deng Changwen, a major konjac producer, harvests konjac in Shuyue Village, Dibao Township, Muchuan County, Leshan City, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. (Photo/Yang Xiong)
Thanks to industry support, Muchuan konjac has become a national geographical indication product, and the branding process is steadily progressing.
The district plans to establish an intellectual property management center. “Once completed, the center will provide unified management and professional support for intellectual property rights related to konjac in the region, further strengthening the Muchuan konjac brand,” said Mr. Li.
An annual seminar is held for food industry companies involved in konjac cultivation and processing. “Every year, the seminar attracts numerous food and trading companies from Europe, America, and other regions to Muchuan, eager to learn about konjac cultivation and processing methods,” said Mr. Liao.
Today, the konjac plantation area in Muchuan County has reached 35,000 mu, with a total production value exceeding 500 million yuan. A complete production chain for advanced processing and export of konjac has also been established, led by leading enterprises.
Sentaiyuan Biotechnology Co., Ltd., in Muchuan, Sichuan Province, operates several konjac deep processing lines. The company also has a digital production facility. “We have developed over 100 types of konjac products, and our annual production capacity exceeds 10,000 tons of fresh konjac,” said Liu Lei, the company’s CEO.
Mr. Liu noted, “We are also building teams to continuously develop new products,” adding that the company has applied for more than 40 patents on various technologies.
Mr. Liu said that thanks to the support of a professional trading company, the company’s export volume has exceeded US$20 million for several years in a row.
Post time: Dec-19-2025