The Booming Chinese Medicine Industry

T hough a vast area,Shennongjia has very little arable land.Professor Liu Shengxiang from the School of life Sciences at Central China Normal University pointed out that Shennongjia needed to consider its environmental capacity and seek out its own path for developing its traditional Chinese medicine.In addition, the local government should focus on developing its forest industry,rather than pursuing the development of so-called big industry or large-scale development.

Herbal medicine cultivation here is developing rapidly now, and medicinal materials are planted in accordance with the features of different regions.The 14 main varieties include radix Bupleuri,eucommia ulmoides, radix aconiti, gastrodia elata,Polyporus,atractylodes,heracleum,cortex phellodendri, codonopsis pilosula, and rhizoma coptidis.Xinhua Town enjoys the reputation of“the Township of Eucommia ulmoides,”mainly because of its large production.Most of rhizoma coptidis are planted in Xiaguping Township,earning it the name “the Township of Rhizoma Coptidis.”

The planting of Chinese medicinal herbs in Shennongjia has been well developed for many years.According to statistics,the whole district has planted 18463.3 mu of Chinese medicinal herbs and built 5000 mu of Chinese medicine farming model bases.There are 23 specialized cooperatives, as well as purchasing stations with over 1300 planters.Therefore a sound business model of“company,production base,family planter,cooperative”of Chinese medicinal herbs planting is forming.

There are more than 20 varieties of genuine medicinal materials in Shennongjia,one of the largest varieties of genuine medicinal materials production regions in China.All the villages in Xinhua Town,Xiaguping Town,Hongping Town,and Dajiuhu Town are engaged in the cultivation of medicinal materials,and the last two towns were main producing areas of heracleum, angelica sinensis, and codonopsis pilosula, with annual output of 600 to 800 tons.On this basis, Chinese medicinal materials and medicine extracts are exported to Japan,South Korea and other countries,including more than 200 tons exports of radix bupleuri,magnolia officinalis,codonopsis pilosula,flos farfarae, honey, and apple polyphenols,earning over 5 million dollars in total.

Juneng Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.was the first manufacturer producing Chinese medicine in Shennongjia.The company has planted around 3,000 mu of medicinal materials and purchases more than 200 tons of Chinese medicinal materials annually.It can produce more than 200 kinds of Chinese medicinal products,as well as many plant extracts,and dietary Chinese herbs such as gastrodia elata, astragalus, and angelica sinensis.Its Chinese medicinal products sell well and are exported to many markets,including the United States.

Recently,the government of Shennongjia Forestry District has cooperated with the Hubei University of Chinese Medicine in establishing the Shennongjia Research Institute of Chinese Medicine in order to provide scientific and technological support for local development of Chinese medicine.

中藥材產業方興未艾

神農架耕地面積稀少，林地廣闊。針對這一地域特點，華中師范大學生命科學學院教授劉勝祥指出，神農架發展中醫藥產業需要考慮其整體的環境承載力，走一條獨特的發展之路。林區黨委政府也因地制宜，不搞大產業也不搞大開發，順勢而為，推動林下產業發展。

目前，林區栽培藥物產業快速發展，按各區域特點選種合適的中藥材，品種主要是柴胡、杜仲、川烏、天麻、豬苓、蒼術、獨活、黃柏、黨參、黃連等14個品種。杜仲以新華鎮為最多，有“杜仲之鄉”之稱。黃連種植以下谷坪鄉為主，有“黃連之鄉”之稱。

經多年發展，林區中藥材種植已初具規模，據不完全統計，全區中藥材種植總面積為18463.3畝，建成中藥材種植示范基地5000畝。全區設立23個中藥材專業合作社和收購站（點），有1300多戶藥材種植戶?！肮?基地+農戶+協會”的中藥材種植經營模式正在形成。

常用大宗中藥材中，神農架擁有道地藥材品種20多種，是全國道地藥材品種最多的區域之一。新華鎮、下谷坪鄉、紅坪鎮、大九湖鎮都是全區藥材種植之鄉，后二者一度是黨參、當歸、獨活的主產地，年產黨參、當歸、獨活達600至800噸。在此基礎上，中藥材及中藥提取物出口日本、韓國等多個國家，年出口柴胡、厚樸、獨活、冬花、蜂蜜、蘋果多酚等200多噸，創匯500多萬美元。

神農架林區第一家中藥材生產企業——聚能藥業公司，種植藥材近3000畝，年收購中藥材200多種,超200噸，可加工生產200多種中藥飲片產品以及多種植物提取物，生產天麻、黃芪、當歸等藥食兩用產品。中藥材產品暢銷，還出口至美國。

近來，神農架林區黨委政府與湖北中醫藥大學合作，成立神農架中藥產業研究院，為林區中藥產業發展提供科技支持。

濕地花香Grasses flower in the wetlands of Dajiu Lake