On April 3, the municipal forestry authorities informed the general public that the number of the farmers who started to develop the characteristic industry of forest-based economy is reaching 200,000, and the total area of the industrial development is up to 100,000 hectares with an overall output exceeding 64 million US dollars and an increase of average per capita income about 60 dollars.
　　The forest-based economy in Yichang at present mainly covers production of grains, oil, medical herbs, fungi, grass, tea, flowers and vegetables, breeding of poultry, livestock, beesworms and tamed wild animals. As well as the collection and processing of a variety of forestry products including rosin, bamboo shoots and dried wild herbs, on the basis of which local household-based or cooperative-based tourism is developed with support by leading enterprises and investment from the social organizations.
　　It’s acknowledged that importance will be attached on development of five major forest-based industries including plantation of flowers, traditional medical herbs and edible mushrooms, breeding of wild animals and development of tourism projects, aiming at establishment of a collection of contiguous bases and a series of influential specialized cooperatives and leading enterprises, to practice systematic industrial management from planting, breeding and processing to service of production, supply and marketing in the integrated mode of leading enterprises, specialized cooperatives, bases and households.
　　To guide the development of forest-based economic industries, measures will be taken to offer financial support to the demonstrative bases, leading enterprises and specialized cooperatives including fitting forest-based economy in agricultural and forestry industries. With more financial support of relative capitals and special funds, adopting a preferential tax policy for the forest based products, carrying out the interest subsidy policy, allowing forestry property mortgage and providing small fiduciary loans to farmers and joint guarantee loans of forestry and agricultural industry.
　　（Reporter Mei Yunxiong, Correspondent Ke Xiaoyu）