Infinitus Tracing Source Trip 2018 Launched in Yunan

Upgrades in the planting and processing of Morinda officinalis serve as a model for the entire sector

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Nov 16, 2018, 04:07 ET

YUNFU, China, Nov. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A Chinese folk saying goes: there is ginseng in the north, and Morinda officinalis in the south. Morinda officinalis, Amomum villosum, betel nut and Alpinia oxyphylla are known as the four Southern Medicines, with Morinda officinalis the most commonly prescribed, comparable to ginseng.

Infinitus Tracing Source Trip 2018 tours planting base of morinda officinalis

On Nov. 13th, the Infinitus Tracing Source Trip 2018, organized by Infinitus (China) Company Ltd., toured Yunan County in western Guangdong Province. This sourcing expedition made up of 100 traditional Chinese medicine industry experts and journalists covering healthcare topics observed the planting and harvesting process of Morinda officinalis, as well as the steps that Infinitus takes in controlling the quality across the entire process.

The planting and harvesting of Morinda officinalis in Yunan: modern management of the process assures a win-win for all the farmers and firms involved

The medicinal value of Morinda officinalis is widely recognized, assessed by TCM practitioners as "sweet and pungent in taste and slightly warm in nature". In TCM the plant is applied in the case of kidney deficiency, weak tendons and bones, and presence of wind-damp. Yunan has around 100 years of experience in planting Morinda officinalis, while the county's unique natural conditions combined with a mature and advanced planting technology ensures the authenticity of the output. The nystose content is 4 percent, twice that recommended in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Tianfangjian, a sister company of and provider of raw materials for Infinitus, maintains the facilities for the growing and harvesting of Morinda officinalis here.

Yunan County Morinda officinalis planting base, as Tianfangjian's own Morinda officinalis planting base and Infinitus' native raw material supply facilities, has adopted Tianfangjian's innovative management and planting model for Chinese herbal medicine that combines traditional planting with modern management, ensuring genuine quality medicinal materials. At present, the facilities occupy 65 acres (27 hectares) with plans to expand to 825 acres (330 hectares) in the next 3 years.

The location of the facilities has also been carefully selected in line with Infinitus' consistently demanding standards. Firstly, the soil, water and air must be tested to meet the national standards for agricultural residues and heavy metals. Secondly, the soil, water and climate must be suitable for the cultivation of the plant. Finally, as Morinda officinalis is an important local cash crop in Yunan, local farmers are familiar with it and prefer its planting technology. Each Morinda officinalis planting only starts to turn out usable produce after at least four years of careful cultivation.

The establishment of the planting facilities has provided local farmers with experiential knowledge of the advantages of modern planting management. Tianfangjian's management model for planting Chinese medicinal materials has innovatively adopted an internal pricing system which ensures a stable income for participating farmers. At the same time, the model provides technical guidance for farmers on how to increase yield and improves the demand, creating an additional RMB 5,000 (approx. USD 725) per year in income for participating farmers while delivering tangible benefits. The staff at the facilities have integrated the visits from interested parties into their daily schedule, promoting local tourism as well as the establishment of an industry that is exclusive to the region, further boosting local economic development.

As part of its social responsibilities, the facilities strive to continually be at the cutting edge

Mr. Cao Zhengkui, Vice President of the China Association of Chinese Medicine, said, "As competition in the traditional Chinese medicine market becomes increasingly fierce, the integration of upstream and downstream resources is certain to become a trend. Companies with a traceability system for Chinese herbal medicines will have obvious advantages in ensuring the quality of their products."

The Protection and Development Plan for Chinese Medicinal Materials (2015-2020), a paper released by the State Council in April 2015, calls for the establishment of a full-process traceability system that covers all major Chinese medicinal materials, as such a system had been identified as an important component in terms of building a quality assurance system. Currently, the Chinese medicinal materials planting process and the quality of raw materials face some challenges. To avoid the counterfeiting of Chinese medicinal materials or the presence of pesticide residue, choosing genuine medicinal materials is paramount.

Mr. Xue Shouchun, Vice President of Infinitus (China), said, "As a responsible company, Infinitus takes into account the interests of all stakeholders across the industry chain. Through the establishment of an ecosystem, we aim to promote the upgrade of the entire industry chain, which covers planting, processing, R&D, production, sales and services, in a move to achieve sustainable and high-quality development."

Mr, Luo Jiangqing,General Manager of Marketing and Investment at Tianfangjian, said, "In terms of the planting model for Chinese medicinal materials, we have recently implemented three important changes: from R&D to practice, from co-established facilities to 100-percent owned and operated facilities, and from quality advantage to market advantage."

Infinitus, in partnership with Tianfangjian, has established farms in several important Chinese medicinal materials regions, including South China (Marinda officinalis, Semen Euryales, Arillus Longan), Southwest China (Pseudo-ginseng, Poria cocos, Fructus Amomi), Northeast China (Ginseng, Schisandra chinensis), Northwest China (Codonopsis pilosula, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Astragalus propinquus) and Central China (Poria cocos, Lingzhi mushroom, among others), laying a solid foundation for quality improvements in the raw materials across the production chain.