In the cold winter, the processing workshop of Changchun Dongfeng Yilong Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Dongfeng Yilong Company"), located in Sanshengyu Town, Nong'an County, was booming. On the chrysanthemum granule production line, the staff were launching a "general attack" on the last batch of production orders. Fermentation, pressing, drying, crushing, granulation... After the treatment of layers of processes, marigold, which is commonly seen in front of houses and behind houses, has changed into lutein granules in short supply in the market.

Changchun Dongfeng Yilong Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. has organized villagers in many villages and towns of Nong'an County to plant marigold on the roadside and in front of and behind houses, which has become a "flower for getting rich" blooming on the road to rural revitalization. Photographed by Liang Chuang

This year, Changchun Dongfeng Yilong Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. sold 12 million Wanshou chrysanthemum seedlings, generating more than 6 million yuan of income for village collectives and farmers. The picture shows workers collecting marigolds to be transported to the processing workshop. Photographed by Liang Chuang

In the cold winter, the processing workshop of Changchun Dongfeng Yilong Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Dongfeng Yilong Company"), located in Sanshengyu Town, Nong'an County, was booming. On the chrysanthemum granule production line, the staff were launching a "general attack" on the last batch of production orders. Fermentation, pressing, drying, crushing, granulation... After the treatment of layers of processes, marigold, which is commonly seen in front of houses and behind houses, has changed into lutein granules in short supply in the market.

"Marigold is known as' soft gold ', and flowers contain rich natural lutein, which has multiple values of medicine, eating and viewing." Wang Yifeng, head of Dongfeng Yilong Company, told reporters that the company has a modern production line of chrysanthemum granules and is equipped with 12 chrysanthemum fermentation tanks. The maximum storage capacity of flowers in the same period is 10000 tons, and the annual production capacity is 25000 tons. The chain type industrial layout is formed through marigold "seedling raising transplanting picking recycling processing marketing", so as to increase the added value of agricultural products and drive the development of local agricultural industrialization.

The production of lutein granules requires a large number of marigolds. How can Dongfeng Yilong ensure that there is no shortage of raw materials? By virtue of the favorable opportunity of rural residential environment improvement, Dongfeng Yilong Company signed a one-stop cooperation agreement with several towns and villages in Nong'an County to jointly carry out the "Marigold Three Industry Integration Project", and in accordance with the industrialization development model of "company+base+village collective+farmers", to ensure the purchase of marigold planted in each village at a guaranteed price, so as to achieve industrial agglomeration, intensive production and continuous development.

In 2023, the No. 1 Document of the Central Committee proposed that "to cultivate and strengthen the industry of enriching the people in the county, it is necessary to improve the spatial layout of the county and rural industries." The company selects seeds and raises seedlings, the village collective planting and planting, the farmers manage and protect the picking, and all parties cooperate with each other... comprehensively promote the construction of the whole industrial chain of marigold, and develop the roadside economy. This year, Dongfeng Yilong Company sold 12 million Wanshou chrysanthemum seedlings. The project covers 15 townships in the county, generating more than 6 million yuan of income for village collectives and farmers, and promoting the green development of Hemei Village.

In order to ensure the orderly connection of the marigold industry chain, expand the company's radiation driving effect, and enhance the enthusiasm of village collectives and farmers, Dongfeng Yilong Company has carried out the whole process tracking management of marigold planting and harvesting technology, focusing on the aspects of transplanting season, cultivation, watering and fertilizer supplement, pest control, etc., effectively improving the level of planting and cultivation technology, and comprehensively improving the field management efficiency.

"With farmers' confidence in planting, coupled with good varieties and technology, we have not only extended the industrial chain of marigold, but also realized the transformation from sporadic planting to large-scale planting." Wang Yifeng introduced that marigold, which is used to extract lutein, has high requirements for purity and quality. They regard standardized planting as an important link in the development of the whole industrial chain, and have built a seedling base, Employ 13 technical personnel to provide guidance services to farmers. All the local people need to do is to do a good job in field management and protection, and farmers are waiting for harvesting.

Beautiful inside the village, fragrant outside the village. Sanshengyu Town, Nong'an County, which was the first to launch the "Marigold Integration Project with Three Industries", benefited from the characteristics of flourishing marigold flowers, large and colorful flowers, and long flowering period, which not only revitalized the idle land resources, but also added luster to the beautiful countryside, and the rural residential environment changed from clean and green to beautiful. This year, they continue to expand the planting area, promote marigold planting throughout the town, and achieve full coverage of village greening and beautification.

"The large-scale cultivation of marigold has a low investment and good benefits. The flowering period starts in July and lasts until October!" The relevant person in charge of Sanshengyu Town said that the town's marigold can open seven or eight crops every year. When it is mature, farmers can pick it by themselves, expanding their income channels, so that "beautiful resources" can be transformed into "beautiful economy", achieving win-win economic benefits and environmental beautification.

"You must choose a good time to pick marigolds, so that the quality of flowers can be better." This year, Ren Fuhong, a villager in Sanshengyu Village, Sanshengyu Town, earned more than 5000 yuan at his home by picking marigolds on both sides of the village road. "I picked them every 10 days, and I picked more than 5000 kilograms during the whole flowering period. Since the village began to plant marigolds, not only the environment in front of and behind the house has changed greatly, but also our pockets have swelled. " Ren Fuhong said with a smile.

After five years of development, marigold industry has not only beautified the countryside, but also enriched the pockets of villagers. In 2024, Dongfeng Yilong plans to extend this industrial chain to more regions, establish an industry university research cooperation platform with universities and scientific research institutes, promote the transformation and upgrading of the original production line, and make the marigold industry a "flower for wealth" that drives farmers to increase their income.