Guizhou's camellia oil industry helps tackle poverty

Since 2019, Southwest China's Guizhou province has taken efforts to expand camellia planting areas, increase the plant's quality, develop efficient camellia oil processing and provide technological support for the camellia oil industry.

Last year, Guizhou planted 2.94 million mu (196,000 hectares) of camellia plants and harvested 80,900 metric tons of camellia seeds with an output value of 1.28 billion yuan ($189.7 million).

By developing the camellia oil industry, Guizhou has provided 83,400 job positions and helped 986,000 people increase their incomes, 109,000 of which are impoverished people.

Guizhou will continue boosting the camellia oil industry in the next three years. From 2020 to 2022, Guizhou plans to add 3 million mu of camellia planting areas, renovate 8 million mu, produce 15 million camellia seedlings and build provincial-level demonstration planting areas in eight counties – each covering more than 5,000 mu.

Most of Guizhou's camellia plantations are located in remote areas, and 80 percent of the camellia planting process requires manual labor. Every 10 mu of camellia plants can provide a job for one person, which can help alleviate poverty in the region.

Camellia oil contains more than 85 percent of unsaturated fatty acid, much higher than rapeseed oil, peanut oil and soya-bean oil, endowing it with high nutritional value.

Camellia plantations can generate economic results and benefit soil and water quality, land utilization and maintenance, environmental protection work and soil fertilizer supply.