Mugwort harvests in Zhangxi village

Farmers harvest hai ai, a kind of mugwort, in Zhangxi village, Ningbo. [Photo by Zhang Haohua for chinadaily.com.cn]

The harvest season for "hai ai", a kind of mugwort, has arrived in Zhangxi village, Haishu district, Ningbo.

On June 7, villagers began reaping the plant in a more-than-200-mu (13.3 hectare) field, which has been used for the planting of hai ai since 2019.

"Nearly 250 kilograms of dried hai ai are expected to be harvested this year," said Shen Songliang, a resident of Zhangxi, "According to the market purchase price, the output value per mu of hai ai amounts to 4,000 yuan ($599).”

According to the director of Ningbo Haiai Ecological Agriculture Co Ltd, the variety of hai ai planted in Zhangxi village is unique to the Siming Mountain area in Ningbo.

The plantation of hai ai started in 1061, and locals have been using it in traditional Chinese medicine such as moxibustion for about 100 years.

All of the hai ai harvested in the village will be delivered to moxibustion salons in Ningbo after processing.