Longyan of SE China's Fujian reaps bountiful harvest of pomelo

Yongding district, Longyan city in southeast China's Fujian Province is embracing a bountiful pomelo harvest.

Tianzi village, Hongshan township in Yongding is home to a pomelo planting base covering over 1,000 mu (66.67 hectares) of land. As the fruit has ripened, villagers are stepping up efforts to harvest pomelos in the planting base filled with a refreshing fragrance.

A grower holds some pomelos in a planting base in Yongding district, Longyan city of southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 20, 2023. (Photo courtesy of the convergence media center of Yongding district)

A highlight of this year's harvest season is a single-track transport facility. Installed in many plantations, the equipment has made shipping the fruit more effective.

"I have a bumper harvest this year. The price and yield of pomelo this year stand out among the past five years, " said Zhang Quansheng, a pomelo grower in the town. "With subsidies from the government, my plantation is equipped with this transport facility, which has significantly reduced labor costs," Zhang added.

"Hongshan's pomelos ripen more than half a month earlier than those grown in other places. Known for good quality and taste, they are very popular," said Yu Zhenhua, a pomelo dealer. "The pomelos will be exported. I've been here for more than two weeks, purchasing over 50,000 kilograms of pomelos every day. So far, I've purchased more than 1 million kilograms."

Photo shows a single-track transport facility in a planting base in Yongding district, Longyan city of southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo courtesy of the convergence media center of Yongding district)

The total cultivation area of the fruit in Yongding reached 57,500 mu this year, with estimated output exceeding 66,000 tonnes and output value exceeding 120 million yuan ($16.4 million).