Newly introduced technologies boost dragon fruit industry of Nanning in S China's Guangxi

Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has thrived on the dragon fruit industry these years by introducing new technologies and cultivation modes.

The city boasts 188,000 mu (about 12,533 hectares) of dragon fruit fields, which tops the country, and an annual output value of 5 billion yuan (about $718 million), earning it the reputation of "the hometown of dragon fruit in China."

Photo shows a planting base of dragon fruit in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of bureau for rural revitalization of Nanning)

The dragon fruit planting base in Yiling village, Shuangqiao township, Wuming district, for example, covers an area of 3,000 mu. Built by Niceyea Agriculture Co., Ltd., it is a pilot area for modern agriculture. Standard facilities, such as a drip irrigation system, weed barrier fabric, and insect repellent lights, have been applied to all the 195 standard plots at the base.

"Our company introduced a performance assessment process for our management to enable grower-turned-employees to get more pay for more work done," introduced Liao Xiangsong, technical director of the company.

Photo shows a planting base of dragon fruit lit up by artificial lighting equipment at night in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of bureau for rural revitalization of Nanning)

Liao added that it was difficult for a household to manage 3 to 5 mu of dragon fruit fields based on the traditional mode of cultivation, but now with the introduction of modern technologies, a couple can easily tend over 30 mu of fields. "Only one employee is needed to finish all the coordination work on a planting base of 1,000 mu," said Liao.

Today, the dragon fruit of Nanning has been approved as a geographical indication product and is sold all over the country. Besides, it has gone global, with the first batch of dragon fruit exported to the Netherlands in January 2021.