Quality citrus fruits in Chenzhou
2025-01-30
“China’s citrus has a long history. It began to be cultivated over 4,000 years ago. The most primitive citrus is Mangshan wild orange coming from Yizhang county of Chenzhou city.” Deng Xiuxin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and former chief scientist of the national modern agricultural industry technology system, demonstrates the charm of Chinese citrus to the public in the program “Voice” aired on CCTV1. Out of the three oranges in the world, one is produced in China.
The history of Chinese citrus and its important position in the world’s citrus industry show its unique and profound cultural heritage and strong industrial vitality.
Chenzhou, located on the golden 25 degrees north latitude, is one of the birthplaces of Chinese citrus and the most suitable cultivation area for navel oranges and madarin oranges.
The city has a citrus planting area of 998,700 mu (66,580 hectares), a yield of 784,500 tons, and a total industrial chain output value of about 8 billion yuan. An industrial pattern with multiple citrus categories is gradually taking shape.
“Chenzhou is located at the junction of the Nanling Mountains and Luoxiao Mountains. It is dominated by hilly landform and slightly acidic soil. The soil is rich in organic matter, zinc, sulfur, iodine, selenium and other elements, which is very suitable for citrus growth.”
Fu Jinglong, director of Chenzhou Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said that Chenzhou, located in the distributary zone between the Changjiang River system and the Pearl River water system, has an average annual precipitation of 1,452mm, 2.22 times more than the national average, and 1.3 times more than the average of the world mainland.
The good climate throughout the year also brings sweetness to Chenzhou citrus. It has a sunshine duration of about 1,500 hours throughout the year, with an average temperature of 17.4 degrees Celsius.
Multiple microclimate types create a natural golden corridor for citrus in Chenzhou, and nurture its unique quality.
In recent years, the local government of Hunan province has focused on building ten advantageous and characteristic industries like citrus with a production value of one hundred billion yuan each.
Chenzhou citrus has welcomed the unprecedented development opportunities. Thus, a ten-year development plan for the citrus industry has been formulated in Chenzhou.
“In October 2022, the local government of Chenzhou City issued a three-year action plan for high-quality development of the citrus industry, working to build one million mu (66,666.67 hectares) of orchards, with an output of one million tons and a production value of ten billion yuan by 2025.”
Fu Jinglong introduced that major citrus producing counties and cities such as Yizhang, Yongxing, Zixing, and Linwu have successively formulated development plans for the citrus industry. The governments at all levels have made joint efforts to create a characteristic citrus industry.
There are currently six high-standard and virus-free citrus seedling cultivation bases in Chenzhou city. And innovative seedling cultivation and supply mechanisms are being implemented, including order-based cultivation and special subsidy for seedling supply.
“Citrus cultivation covers the entire area of Chenzhou, with 71 contiguous planting bases covering 1,000 mu (66.67 hectares), 5 contiguous planting bases covering 5,000 mu (333.33 hectares), and 4 contiguous planting bases covering 10,000 mu (66.67 hectares).”
Fu Jinglong introduced that Yizhang County and Yongxing County have been awarded the national green food raw material base and national agricultural standardization demonstration county.
As the Spring Festival approaches, Bingtang oranges hanging on branches are like small lanterns in a standardized demonstration base in Huangni town of Yongxing county.
“Our Bingtang oranges are very sweet and juicy. The oranges have been ordered early and will be sent to other places after picking two days later,” said a fruit farmer.
After harvesting, the Yongxing Bingtang oranges are directly sent to the sorting center. The oranges are sorted out according to size, weight and sugar content, which are then labeled, wrapped in protective nets, and loaded into fruit boxes. They will enter thousands of households along the well connected logistics.
As a national geographical indication protected product and one of the top ten citrus landmark brands in China, Yongxing Bingtang Orange has been popular with consumers for its sweetness.
In Zixing city, Dongjianghu honey oranges, the national famous fruit regional public brand, have been harvested. A fruit farmer surnamed Liao is carrying out winter management in the orchard.
“At last year’s CATF, Dongjianghu honey orange stood out of many fruits and were loved by many consumers,” said Li Shaoping. Unlike some oranges that have a chewy texture, Dongjianghu honey orange has a clear and sweet taste.
Chenzhou has established a citrus brand image of “a wide variety of green and quality oranges”, represented by Yizhang navel orange, Yongxing Bingtang orange and Dongjianghu honey orange, with target markets including agricultural product markets, supermarkets and middle to high-income groups in large and medium-sized cities.
There are currently 723 professional citrus cooperatives and enterprises in the city, including 19 provincial-level leading enterprises in agricultural industrialization, 42 at municipal level, with 150,000 people working in the citrus industry.
Chinese source: hunantoday
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