Bama to provide 3m tea-oil seedlings for free

Bama Yao autonomous county in Hechi plans to increase the plantation area of tea-oil trees by 40,000 mu (2,666.67 hectares) this year, as well as provide three million tea-oil seedlings free of charge.

In recent years, Bama has been devoting great efforts to developing the tea-oil industry as part of its strategy to balance poverty alleviation efforts with environmentally friendly development.

A number of supportive policies have been released by the county government, including the provision of free tea-oil seedlings.

To date, the cultivation area of tea-oil trees in Bama has exceeded 300,000 mu. The annual output of camellia oil is about 16,000 metric tons, and the yearly production value is about 300 million yuan ($42.94 million).

More than 2,600 impoverished families in the county had been lifted out poverty due to the tea-oil industry, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the county's total impoverished households.

"The tea-oil industry is the largest eco-poverty alleviation industry in our town, with the plantation area of tea-oil trees exceeding 160,000 mu," said Luo Jie, deputy head of Suolyue township. "The industry has driven more than 1,300 impoverished households in our town to increase their incomes."

Luo Meirong, a villager in the county's Pobang village, said that her family can have a yearly income of 40,000 yuan to 50,000 yuan from the 50 mu of tea-oil trees.

"My family decided to plant another 250 mu of tea-oil trees," said Luo, adding that the county has offered many other supportive policies.