Pingnan establishes business model bases for females

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2013-10-15

In recent years, the county of Pingnan in Fujian province has established up to 32 provincial, municipal and county-level model bases for females starting new businesses. Edible mushrooms, high-mountain vegetables, fruits and forest economy are the focuses of such bases. More than 1,000 women have been engaged, with around 50 million yuan ($8.1 million) in investment. The annual output value has reached 10 million yuan.

At the end of 2011, three sisters, Yao Lifang, Yao Linxian and Yao Xiujin, started their own businesses away from their hometown. They rented about 40 mu (2.67 hectares) of land; built more than 10 greenhouses; and planted straw mushrooms, black fungus, tremellas and Hericium erinaceuses. They hired more than 10 local women all year long. Yao Lifang said they would buy automatic manufacturing machines, register their own trademark and establish their own brand in the future.

Edited by Lin Hong and Michael Thai