Quzhou citrus exported to the Philippines

Citruses are sorted and packaged at a workshop in Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/tianmunews.com]

Quzhou, known as the "hometown of Chinese citrus", exported its first batch of citrus fruits to the Philippines on Nov 21.

About 27.6 metric tons of citrus fruits were packed and shipped from the Jucheng Citrus Professional Cooperative in Qujiang district, Quzhou, and will arrive in the Philippines in 11 days. 

Quzhou is the main citrus producing area in Zhejiang province, growing the fruit over an area of 286,250 mu (19,083 hectares) and producing a total output of 293,000 tons in 2023, an increase of 11.1 percent year-on-year.

The Jucheng Citrus Professional Cooperative received orders for about 4,000 tons of citruses this year. The fruit will also be sold in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

"There was a lot of rain this year, and the ponkan (a kind of citrus) achieved a bumper harvest, with 3,000 tons being purchased. This is three times that of last year. The taste is sweeter than in previous years, and the sugar content can reach about 12 percent," said Zhang Zhilin, who leads the cooperative.

According to statistics from Quzhou Customs, Quzhou exported about 7,930 tons of citrus fruits during the production season last year, with a value of about 54.59 million yuan ($7.64 million). This year, it is expected to export about 9,000 tons of citrus fruits valued at about 60 million yuan.

Quzhou has also optimized citrus technology and improved the quality of its citrus, and has continuously opened up new international markets. Quzhou citrus recently received new orders from Nigeria, seeing a potential market in Africa.