In recent years, Hechi's Huanjiang Maonan autonomous county has been focusing on developing the camellia oil industry, which has helped increase the incomes of local farmers.

Since it started to develop the camellia oil industry in 2015, the base of Luoyang community, Luoyang town has employed 50 people each year for management, harvesting, and other tasks related camellia oil planting, which has driven local residents to plant camellia oil and work nearby, greatly increasing their incomes.

In recent years, the county has implemented effective measures such as free distribution of seedlings, transformation of low-yield forests, and technical assistance to develop the camellia oil industry. It has established 108 camellia oil demonstration bases, with a total area of 33,400 mu (2,227 hectares).

As of June 2023, the total planted area of camellia oil in Huanjiang has reached 140,000 mu, with 13,306 households participating, including 5,260 poverty-alleviation households, accounting for 20 percent of the total number of poverty-alleviation households in the county.

The camellia oil industry has become one of the pillar industries in Huanjiang, consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation and promoting rural vitalization.

Camellia oil fruits hang on branches in Luoyang town, Huanjiang. [Photo/Guangxi Daily]