Leizhou's bumper harvest of Mexican jalapenos

Leizhou, a county-level city in Zhanjiang, has recently experienced a bumper harvest of Meixcan jalapenos, a high-quality green chilli pepper known for its high yields.

This prolate-spheroid-shaped vegetable is distinguished by its firm flesh, glossy rind and mild taste, which is a stark difference from the green pepper and Serrano pepper found in Chinese markets.

Endemic to Mexico's coastal areas, jalapeno is regarded as the best breed for direct consumption and deep processing. In addition to its high output, it is also a very tough vegetable that can take a beating, making it easily transportable.

The Leizhou Lvfu Plantation Cooperative started to experiment with jalapenos in 2015. After a successful trial, it committed to a larger scale plantation in October 2016. So far some 300 mu (20 hectares) of jalapeno have been planted in collaboration with farmers.

As the jalapeno is priced at 1.9 yuan ($30 cent) per kilo, a fairly steady profit can made from the plant. At current price, output value can reach up to more than 30,000 yuan per mu, garnering a sound net profit of about 25,000 yuan per mu.

Meanwhile, the cooperative has also experimented with other new businesses with the jalapenos, like producing hot sauce with the peppers. This has proven to be successful so far, increasing the product's added value and extending the industrial chain.

Leizhou farmers are harvesting jalapenos. [Photo by Li Zhong/Zhanjiang Daily]