Harvesting machines are busying picking lily bulbs in 3,667 hectares of fields in Qilihe district, Lanzhou, Gansu province.

An aerial view of the lily bulb fields in Lanzhou's Qilihe district [Photo/cctv.com]

The machines come from Gansu S.K.Y. Ecological Technology Co, a technology-based enterprise focused on export food processing, new product development and foreign trade.

The lily bulbs in Lanzhou's Qilihe district [Photo/cctv.com]

In the past decade, the firm has made continuous efforts on Lanzhou lily bulb breeding and ecological planting. It bought lily bulbs from farmers at high prices, and provided jobs for them near their homes, which has helped solve some employment issues.

"I have been working here since 2016. It is convenient to take care of my children and family, and my income has also increased," said Cao Pengxia, a villager in the district.

The unique garlic-shaped white lilies grow in soil with a high-drainage capacity in areas 2,000 meters above sea level. In the past, only the rich could afford the plant for food or medicine, as it takes nine years to fully mature.