In the rural areas of southern China, the 80s ushered in a wave of agricultural cultivation, and one of the most high-profile plants was named "Rose Eggplant". At that time, it was the early stage of reform and opening up, urban enterprises were booming, and a large number of migrant workers poured into the cities to make a living.
Faced with the vacant land of their homes, the left-behind villagers have germinated a desire to return to agriculture, so the rose eggplant has become the protagonist of this agricultural boom.
Zhang Quan, a middle-aged farmer in Putian, Fujian Province, vividly recalls the excitement of the early eighties. "Almost every household is planting, hillside land, riverside land, as long as the land is suitable, every inch of land is used. Zhang Quan said. At that time, the medicinal value and high income of rose eggplant became the focus of television and newspaper publicity, and many villagers saw it as an opportunity to escape poverty and actively learn Xi cultivation techniques.
Similar enthusiasm for planting has spread in Guangxi, Guangdong and other provinces, and the carefully managed rosewig plots in the farmland have made the mountains and fields dotted with red flowers, making it a beautiful landscape. "When it comes to flowering, the hillside is a red sea. Grandma Li from Maoming, Guangdong sighed. She recalls taking her grandchildren to pick flowers in the rose eggplant field, and the children competed to taste the delicious "little red fruit".
However, in the late eighties, the boom in the cultivation of rose eggplant in various parts of the South began to cool down. Due to the limited market and the difficulty of maintaining the purchase price, many villagers chose to abandon the cultivation of roses in favor of more economical crops. "Around 89, some people in the village said that the rose eggplant could not be sold, and it was better to grow vegetables to make money. Zhang Quan recalled the rapid decline in planting area at that time.
According to incomplete statistics, by the mid-90s, the planting area of rose eggplant in Fujian, Guangdong and other provinces had decreased by more than 60% compared with the heyday, and even the market in some counties and cities had basically disappeared.
The processing market of rose eggplant as a raw material for Chinese medicinal materials and tea drinks has not expanded synchronously, and the production is rapidly overproduced. At the same time, cash crops such as bananas and sugar cane are becoming more popular, making roses gradually lose their competitiveness. "The income from growing bananas in the village is more than twice as high as ours, who wants to grow this thing!".Aunt Feng from Maoming, Guangdong said.
However, roses are not without value. As a special agricultural product, it has the potential to be used both for medicine and food. It's just that in the context of that time, this "hurried flower" was ruthlessly crushed by the wheels of the times before it had time to bloom.
In fact, the rose eggplant, which was popular in the 80s, is far less mysterious than people think. It belongs to the Solanaceae family, the scientific name is "Rose Ashwagandha", is an annual erect herbaceous plant, mainly growing in tropical and ** zone. The growth cycle is short, from sowing to flowering and fruiting in only 70-80 days. It is petite, covered with tender green leaves, and the most conspicuous is the bright red flower at the top, which resembles a rose, and has juicy flesh.
When we were children, we loved to break the hearts of the flowers and eat the little red fruits in it, sweet and sour. Zhang Quan recalled the taste of his childhood.
In fact, the greatest value of rose eggplant is not only the delicious flowers. As a Chinese herbal medicine, it is rich in protein, fat, vitamin C and other ingredients, which can clear away heat and dampness, brighten the eyes and reduce the eyes, and has a lot of effects. Modern research has proved that Rose Ashwagandha extract has anti-inflammatory, antiviral and other pharmacological activities, and is a green plant for both medicine and food. It's just that with the process of industrialization, this little red flower has gradually been forgotten in the corner of the times.
Today, in the 200s, the once-little-loved rose eggplant has ushered in an incredible revival!In recent years, with the rapid development of social economy, the market and consumer demand for high-quality green agricultural products have been rising.
In the context of the general rise of all kinds of agricultural products, this almost lost "little safflower" has gone the opposite way, soaring to 20 yuan per catty, far exceeding other vegetables and fruits in the same period.
According to the analysis of industry insiders, one of the main reasons for this phenomenon is that supply exceeds demand. It has not been paid attention to for a long time, and the scale of cultivation and processing of rose eggplant is seriously small, which is far from meeting the needs of modern consumption. The planting area in the main producing areas of the country has decreased by 80% compared with the heyday, and the technology and seedlings are facing the problem of disconnection.
Secondly, the traditional Chinese medicine market is expanding rapidly in the context of the epidemic, and rose ashwagandha extract is even more sought-after as an antiviral medicinal material. Demand has been further boosted by the strong procurement of ingredients by industrial and food processing companies.
In the face of the rise of this **, some old farmers sighed: "If I had known, my family would have replanted it a long time ago!."For Rose Eggplant, this wave is just a new beginning.
Behind the sharp rise of rose eggplant**, it reflects the re-recognition of this special agricultural product by the market and society. As a green plant for both medicine and food, rose eggplant has great potential for development.
Industry experts have called on the relevant authorities to pay attention to the protection and support of the sustainable development of this traditional agricultural heritage. "This *** is just the beginning. Professor Li, an expert in traditional Chinese medicine, analyzed. In the next 5-10 years, with the increasingly broad prospects of Chinese herbal medicine, the rose eggplant industry chain will be rapidly improved and expanded, the planting area and output value will achieve multiple growth, and ultimately serve hundreds of millions of consumers.
At the same time, the unique medicinal value of rose ashwagandha will also be further clarified through experiments, and more health care and first-class products will be developed.
In addition, the eggplant itself can be eaten directly as a green vegetable. Demand for roses from the industrial and food sectors is expected to continue to rise. With the promotion of the concept of "medicine and food", rose eggplant will appear in more and more tables and pharmacies.
If Roseweed was once abandoned by the times, now is the time for it to have a great revival with its head held high. Let's look forward to the return of this little red flower to the mountains and wilderness, blooming with brilliant light and heat.
Going around and around, time has passed, and we are back to the prosperous era of the Red Sea in the 80s. However, after the ups and downs of development, people's understanding of rose eggplant has not only stayed at economic interests, but also valued its cultural value and sustainability.
Things have changed, and now they are not what they used to be. We can't simply copy the model of the past, but enrich and innovate on the basis of inheritance. Uncle Hu, the village party secretary, said.
Today, the village has drawn up a detailed plan for the protection and rational development of roses, and has also set up a local branding agency. Uncle Hu believes that under the guidance of fully absorbing historical experience, the rose eggplant industry will go further and more steadily this time.