Sweet fruits generate prosperity to county in S China's Guangxi

Xingye county in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in recent years has guided farmers to develop the high-quality fruit industry, bringing wealth to farmers, who can receive land transfer fees and work at planting bases.

Photo shows sugar orange trees laden with sugar oranges in Xingye county, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Li Yuchang]

In 2023, the total planting area of high-quality fruits, including sugar oranges and Orah mandarins, reached 257,200 mu (17,146 hectares) in the county, with the total yield approaching 100,000 tonnes and output worth 400 million yuan ($56.35 million).

The county's high-quality fruit industry has not only helped farmers fatten their wallets, but also boosted rural revitalization.

Huang Zongke is a fruit grower in Putang township of the county. "I began growing sugar orange trees in 2007. Now, the yield per mu reaches about 5,000 kilograms, and the price for sugar oranges is 5 yuan per kilogram," Huang said, adding that the township's sugar oranges taste good.

"I introduced sugar oranges from south China's Guangdong Province in 2007. After years of technical improvements, our sugar oranges now are of good quality, achieve high yield, and can be sold at a good price," said He Yi, manager of a local company.

Photo shows boxes of sugar oranges in Xingye county, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Li Yuchang]

To let villagers share the dividends of the fruit industry and boost rural revitalization, the township has forged a development model by building a production and marketing platform integrating its agricultural association and the company for villagers to share their production techniques and development outcomes. The platform enables the timely sales of fruits to the rest of the country, attracting more and more villagers to join.

Li Guosheng, head of the township's agricultural association, said the association collaborates with merchants in cities like Beijing, Jiaxing, and Wuhan through various channels to sell local fruits, helping fruit growers iron out their concerns and worries and increase their incomes.