From fields to global markets: The loofah's path to rural renewal

From fields to global markets: The loofah's path to rural renewal

小丝瓜出国门 闯出乡村振兴新“丝”路

On July 30, under the scorching sun, at the loofah cultivation base in Hefengqiao town, Xinyang city in Central China's Henan province, villagers picked mature loofahs that had turned yellow from green. They carried them to the canal's edge and carefully peeled away the rough outer skin. After being washed with clear stream water, the snow-white loofah fibers were exposed.

7月30日，骄阳似火，位于商城县河凤桥乡新桥村的丝瓜种植基地内，村民们摘下一条条由青变黄的老丝瓜，运到渠边，就着清清的溪水，剥去粗糙外皮，雪白如玉的丝瓜络就呈现出来。

"We cultivate loofahs here not for eating, but for their fibers. After being purchased by Yuangeng Company, the loofah fibers have been processed into products that are now exported globally," said Wu Yang, the head of Hefengqiao town, proudly.

“我们这儿种丝瓜不是为了吃，而是为了卖丝瓜络。县里的原耕公司收购后，加工生产出的丝瓜络制品，已经出口到国外啦。”河凤桥乡乡长武洋高兴地说。

Yuangeng Company, with the full name of Shangcheng Yuangeng E-commerce Limited Company, was founded by Yang Shujuan, a post-90s college graduate. In November 2016, she returned to her hometown after achieving success in the e-commerce sector in Hangzhou, a city in Southeast China's Zhejiang province. With the vision of "using e-commerce as a medium to support green agriculture", she established Yuangeng, a company committed to selecting and promoting  high-quality local agricultural products, and leveraging online platforms to sell them nationwide and even overseas.

“原耕公司”全称“商城县原耕电子商务有限公司”，创办人是90后返乡创业大学生杨淑娟。2016年11月，在杭州电商界创业有成的杨淑娟，秉承“电商为媒、绿色助农”理念，返乡创办了原耕公司，坚持优选地方优质农特产品，借助网络销售到全国各地乃至海外市场。

In the era of scarce resources, loofah fibers served as an essential dishwashing tool for countless rural households, embodying cherished memories across generations. With rapid economic and social progress, modern cleaning products have gradually replaced loofah fibers. This natural gift seems to have faded from people's daily life.

在物资匮乏的年代，丝瓜络曾是无数农村家庭不可或缺的洗碗神器，承载着几代人的温情记忆。随着经济社会的迅猛发展，现代清洁用品逐渐取代丝瓜络成为市场主流，这份来自大自然的馈赠，似乎淡出了人们的视野。

While deeply exploring rural areas in search of superior agricultural specialties, Yang Shujuan noticed that many loofah fibers hanging on fences were going unpicked. With her keen market observation and the growing trend towards natural and eco-friendly products, she quickly positioned eco-friendly and naturally grown loofah fibers as one of her key green offerings. Preserving its natural essence, Yuangeng Company rapidly developed a range of over 40 loofah-based products, including shoe insoles, cup brushes, bath towels, and cleaning cloths.

在深入乡村优选农特产品时，杨淑娟发现挂在篱笆上的丝瓜络大多无人采摘。凭着她对市场的敏锐观察，以及当前人们对原生态绿色产品的推崇，生态环保、绿色天然的丝瓜络，迅速成为她主推的绿色产品之一。在保留丝瓜络原生态的基础上，原耕公司很快开发出包括鞋垫、杯刷、洗澡巾、清洁布在内的40余种丝瓜络产品。

"Upon their launch, these innovative products quickly gained popularity, resulting in a continuous increase in orders both domestically and internationally. To date, they have been exported to over 50 countries and are available in more than 170 cities worldwide," Yang Shujuan noted. The growing demand for loofah fiber products has also significantly boosted the need for natural raw materials.

“这些创新产品一经推出就大受追捧，国内外订单持续增长，已远销到国外50多个国家，涵盖国内外170多个城市。”杨淑娟表示，丝瓜络制品的热销，也带来对原料需求的猛增。

With the support of local Party committees and governments, Yuangeng Company has established loofah planting bases in 48 villages across 12 towns in Shangcheng county. This year, the company has expanded its operations into the neighboring counties of Huangchuan and Gushi, bringing the total planting area to cover 10,000 mu (approximately 666.67 hectares). The e-commerce sales of loofah fiber products alone have reached 31 million yuan.

在地方党委、政府的支持下，公司已在商城12个乡镇48个村建立了丝瓜种植基地，今年又扩展到相邻的潢川、固始两县，总种植面积超万亩，丝瓜络单品电商销售额已达3100万元。

Yang Shujuan mentioned that cultivating loofahs yields an income of nearly 5,000 yuan per mu. On average, planting 3 mu of loofahs can provide employment for one person. The surging sales of loofah fiber products have not only opened up a new and sustainable path for local development suited to the region but also enriched the life of rural residents.

杨淑娟表示，种植丝瓜每亩收入近5000元，平均每种植3亩丝瓜就可带动一人就业。随着丝瓜络产品的热销，也为老区群众䠀出了一条高质量、可持续、因地制宜发展的富民新路子。

"The small loofahs are going global, pioneering a new path for rural vitalization," said Lyu Fei, deputy secretary of the Shangcheng County Party Committee. With the help of e-commerce platforms, the loofah fiber industry in Shangcheng now connects directly from local fields to global markets, emerging as a pivotal industry in the  countryside's vitalization. (Chinese source: Henan Daily Reporter: Lu Song and Liu Hongbing Correspondent: Liao Xiaoyan Translator: Yang Jiaxin and Zhang Yahan Proofreader: Ding Lan and Zhao Hanqing)

“小丝瓜出国门，闯出乡村振兴新‘丝’路。”商城县委副书记吕菲表示，借助电商平台，商城县的丝瓜络产业一头连着田间地头，一头连起全球市场，已成为乡村振兴的特色产业之一。（中文来源/河南日报客户端 记者/卢松 刘宏冰 通讯员/廖小燕 编译/杨佳欣 张雅涵 审校/丁岚 赵汉青）