Chen Aizhu (left), a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress and a bamboo shoot farmer from Aojiang town in Pingyang county. [Photo provided to Tide News]

Chen Aizhu, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress and a bamboo shoot farmer from Aojiang town in Pingyang county, Zhejiang province, has been focusing on how to better utilize mountain resources to support rural development.

Chen has grown water bamboo shoots for 34 years. Over that time, she has transformed more than 100 mu (about 6.67 hectares) of contracted hillsides from barren land into productive farmland while helping other villagers increase their incomes.

This year, she is paying particular attention to how limited natural resources can be better activated to boost farmers' earnings.

Zhejiang has abundant mountains but limited flat land, with mountainous areas accounting for more than 70 percent of the province's land area. Chen said making better use of mountain resources is key to rural vitalization.

Based on her field research, she added that the province's under-forest economy — economic activities developed beneath forest canopies — still faces challenges such as a weak industrial foundation and insufficient policy coordination.

She said stronger top-level planning and policy guidance could help farmers develop distinctive under-forest industries and sustain income growth in mountainous areas.