First Wuxi Waxberry Festival kicks off

Farmers pack up already picked waxberries which will head for market. [Photo/wxrb.com]

According to Xu Huihong, a farmer with more than 10 mu (6,667 square meters) of waxberries, the picking period of waxberry has arrived earlier than usual this year and will finish on June 25.

"Although it was rainy on June 10, it won't affect the taste of this year's waxberries and we believe they will be as good and tasty as any other year."

Mashan has a waxberry area that spans more than 12,000 mu with 3,000 local farmers growing the fruit and incomes can reach 35,000 yuan ($5150) per annum.