Astragalus membranaceus grow in Guyang county, Baotou city. [Photo/Baotou news network]

The National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation recently issued the "Announcement on Nine Newly Added Substances, Including Codonopsis Pilosula, Recognized as Both Foods and Chinese Medicinal Materials". Astragalus membranaceus was also included on the list.

This signified a new opportunity for development in Guyang county, known as the "Hometown of Astragalus Membranaceus".

Although the quality of astragalus membranaceus in Guyang is excellent, it has been traditionally consumed mainly as a Chinese medicinal material, limiting the advanced development of the astragalus membranaceus industry in the county. Being recognized as "both medicine and food" has long been a hope for the people of Guyang.

In recent years, Guyang has attached great importance to the development of the astragalus membranaceus industry. By 2023, the planting area of astragalus membranaceus in Guyang is expected to reach 112,000 mu (7,467 hectares), making it the largest county in Inner Mongolia autonomous region for astragalus membranaceus cultivation and accounting for one-sixth of the national astragalus membranaceus planting area.

The annual income from astragalus membranaceus planting in Guyang is currently between 1,500 yuan ($210) and 2,500 yuan per mu. Seasonal migrant workers can earn up to 10,000 yuan during the busy planting season each year.

The person in charge of Runzhi Fengchan Farmers Professional Cooperative in Guyang shows off high-quality organic astragalus membranaceus. [Photo/Baotou news network]

Next, Guyang will fully utilize the "both medicine and food" policy to build on high-quality astragalus membranaceus cultivation. Its focus will shift to the deep processing of astragalus membranaceus, aiming to comprehensively enhance the competitiveness and brand influence of the astragalus membranaceus industry in Guyang and surrounding areas.

The goal is to achieve an astragalus membranaceus industry output value of 2 billion yuan by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

A harvesting site of astragalus membranaceus in Guyang. [Photo/Baotou news network]