A drone carries moso bamboo in Suichang county in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Suichang county in Lishui is one of Zhejiang province's 16 key bamboo industry counties, and has 350,000 mu (23,333.33 hectares) of bamboo forest.

However, its remote mountains, short industrial chains, and low added value made monetization difficult. Bamboo farmer Huang Jufen said the daily labor cost of cutting and carrying bamboo exceeds 300 yuan ($44.20), while low purchase prices could still result in losses.

To solve this, Suichang focused on the full bamboo lifecycle. At a breeding base, technicians provide guidance on standardized forest management. Huang said scientific management has helped stabilize her income.

At a processing site, raw bamboo is transformed into semi-finished products. At Zhejiang Jiahe Bamboo Technology, bamboo blanks are turned into high-end reconstituted flooring for export.

He Pincai, chairman of the company, said the added value of moso bamboo increases more than sixfold, with annual sales exceeding 240,000 metric tons.

The county also built Suichang County Bamboo Industry Common Prosperity Park, which integrates processing, R&D, and waste utilization, consuming over 300,000 tons annually.

In 2025, the county's bamboo industry value reached 1.95 billion yuan, with an additional 70,000 tons brought down from the mountains, and the purchase price rose by about 100 yuan per ton.

Moving forward, Suichang will continue to cultivate fine craftsmanship, strengthen new material chains, expand bamboo tourism and under-forest economy, and deepen forest tenure reform.