Pomelos push up farm profits

The Liangping pomelo stands as one of the country's three renowned pomelo types, alongside the Shatian pomelo from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and the Wendan pomelo from Fujian province. In 2004, Liangping was honored as a "Hometown of Famous Chinese Pomelos".

"The annual production value of the entire pomelo industry chain has reached 5 billion yuan," Liu Wenyang, deputy head of Liangping, said at the opening ceremony of the event.

Currently, the district features a pomelo planting area spanning 10,000 hectares across more than 100 standardized orchards, hosting over eight million pomelo trees that yield 200,000 metric tons of fruit annually. Additionally, the area is home to over 70 social service organizations and more than 20 processing enterprises linked to the fruit.

The fruit has drawn much attention from abroad recently, with envoys from nine countries — including Argentina, Cambodia and Germany — attending the 2024 Land-Sea Economic Forum, which was held in the municipality in May.

During their visit to the Chinese Liangping Pomelo Sea, they showed a keen interest in the fruit, expressing a desire to explore international cooperation opportunities in the industry.

The fruit has been exported to countries and regions including Russia, Vietnam, Singapore and South Korea.

The pomelo industry has also brought fortune to local villagers.

Longtan village in Hexing township, a major area with over 40 years of dedication to the industry, has successfully transformed pomelo cultivation into a major enterprise.

The village, in collaboration with six collectives, has established Chongqing Youzhiyun Agricultural Development Co, engaging in the marketing of fresh pomelo fruit and its processing.

According to village chief He Yaochun, it has established a sophisticated production line for over 200 varieties of products — with pomelo beverages, wine and peel candies as top sellers.

These creations have also enhanced livelihoods in the village by spearheading rural vitalization.

Local pomelo farmers have increased their incomes by 7,500 yuan per hectare, and their average annual income has risen by 19,000 yuan per person. Additionally, the village's collective income has surged from 56,000 yuan in 2018 to 1.62 million yuan last year.

To improve pomelo quality and yield, they have deepened collaboration with research institutions. Last year, a strategic agreement was signed between the local government and the Citrus Research Institute of Southwest University to jointly establish the China Liangping Pomelo Industry Research Institute.

Contact the writers at dengrui@chinadaily.com.cn