Huazhou's Exocarpium Citri Grandis, from local specialty to national treasure

In the recent Guangdong province celebration of the 2024 Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival, Huazhou's Exocarpium Citri Grandis emerged as the top local specialty.

As a leading industry in Huazhou, the city boasts over 8,666.7 hectares of Exocarpium Citri Grandis cultivation, producing more than 60,000 metric tons of fresh fruit annually. The industry encompasses 1,542 enterprises involved in planting, processing, and sales, with an annual output value exceeding 10.2 billion yuan ($1.44 billion).

Huazhou is the most extensive Exocarpium Citri Grandis production base in China. In August, Exocarpium Citri Grandis was included in the list of homologous food and medicine products. The dual-use path for food and medicine has attracted many buyers, drawn by the diverse Exocarpium Citri Grandis products showcased at the Harvest Festival.

With the continuous improvement of the Exocarpium Citri Grandis industry chain, Huazhou has over 1,000 enterprises engaged in planting, processing, and sales, introducing advanced processing equipment and developing more than 150 products. The annual output value of the entire industry chain has reached 10.2 billion yuan. To enhance market competitiveness, Huazhou enterprises have launched new products such as Exocarpium Citri Grandis beverages, candies, and coffee, catering to the tastes of the younger generation.

Huazhou's specialty, Exocarpium Citri Grandis. [Photo/WeChat account: maofabu]