'Gold capital' boosts characteristic fruit, vegetable industry

Caomeng autumn pears receive widespread attention at the 22nd International Fruit & Vegetable & Food Exposition and Agricultural Materials & Seedlings Exhibition in Yantai, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Under the prefecture-level city of Yantai in East China's Shandong province, the county-level coastal city of Zhaoyuan is known for its abundant gold reserves and dubbed a "gold capital" in the country.

Ranking No 1 among the country's county-level cities for proven gold reserves, Zhaoyuan's gold resources are spread all over the region, with over 1,000 gold veins available for mining, making the city's 542,120-odd residents rich with a higher income, said Wang Xin, a local resident.

The city's GDP hit 86.845 billion yuan ($12.1 billion) by the end of 2023, a rise of 7.3 percent year-on-year, he said, adding that with the high income for residents, Zhaoyuan is trying to make them richer through other innovative means — boosting integrated industries.

Xiadian town, with over 42,300 residents living in 78 administrative villages, is nurturing its characteristic fruit and vegetable industry as another way to boost farmers' income.

Locals say the fields in Xiadian are sweet, as strawberries, grapes, autumn pears, apples and sweet potatoes are harvested all year round with the rotation of the four seasons.

In recent years, a high-end fruit industrial belt along Dagu River, represented by Caomeng autumn pears, Zangjia strawberries and Sunshine rose grapes, has taken shape in Xiadian town, and an industrial chain of standardized base, centralized storage, fruit processing, cold chain logistics and branded direct sales has matured, leading Xiadian to achieve high-end and industrialized development of fruits.

Shen Minren, head of the Fumandi high-end apple plantation in Xiadian, said: "I started planting Venus-brand apples in 2021, which can be sold for around 13 yuan ($1.8) per kilogram. This year, my output is estimated to hit 2,500 kg and they can be sold to all parts of the country through merchants."

He said more than 27 hectares of "gold" Venus apples are anticipated to yield a bumper harvest in Zangjia village, which is located in southeastern Xiadian and bordering Caomeng village in the north.

The prosperity of the industry is helping boost the income of local residents. There are more than 30 perennial workers in the apple plantation, engaging in pruning, weeding, thinning flowers and fruits, bagging and picking.

During the busy farming season, over 200 people can be hired, and each person can earn 200 yuan per day on average, Shen said.

On Nov 15, as the 22nd International Fruit & Vegetable & Food Exposition and Agricultural Materials & Seedlings Exhibition opened in Yantai, characteristic fruit and vegetables from Xiadian drew special attention from visitors to the annual gathering.

Among them, some of Xiadian's agricultural products, such as Aifei apples, Venus apples, Shanzhaolijia's cherries, Caomeng autumn pears, Niwanzi millet and black wheat, Zangjia strawberries and Zangjia melons, made their debut at the expo, which carried the theme "Connection, Pragmatism, and Win-Win Cooperation".

At the exhibition zone, Yang Shuai, who is in charge of Xiadian town, said: "Zangjia melons and Zangjia strawberries have obtained geographical indications, while Aifei apples are a new variety introduced from New Zealand, and this is the first year of their production."

Yang added that the most significant feature of Aifei apples is that they don't oxidize because they are rich in selenium, and are sold well during the expo.

A visitor to the 22nd International Fruit & Vegetable & Food Exposition and Agricultural Materials & Seedlings Exhibition in Yantai, Shandong province, tastes agricultural products from Xiadian town. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Moreover, as the sugar content of the big cherries grown in Shanzhaolijia in western Xiadian can reach a maximum of 29 percent, they can burst with juice when bitten due to their high hardness and crispiness, Yang said, adding that buyers from South Korea, Serbia and Spain have come to taste the fresh cherries.

Besides, on the sandy soil along the Dagu River, the autumn pears in Caomeng in southeastern Xiadian are growing well on orchards covering some 173 hectares, with excellent water quality and suitable environment making them juicy and sweet, Yang said.

In addition, the Golden millet, growing in Niwanzi village in northwestern Xiadian is sweet, glutinous and fragrant, and has obtained the certificate of National Famous, Special and Superior Agricultural Products, Yang added.

To date, fruit growers in Xiadian have invested 5 million yuan building a Longda Fruit Storage and Transfer Center, to sort specifically-selected apples into cold storage and prepare them for sales during off-peak seasons.