Walnut industry generates wealth for local people in SW China's Guizhou

Walnuts have recently entered their harvest season in Zhuming township, Hezhang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province.

A villager shells fresh walnuts in Hezhang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Li Xueyou)

Zhao Fu is a major walnut grower in Mojiao village of the township. "My family has over 180 walnut trees, and more than 60 trees bore fruit this year. The output of dried walnuts is expected to exceed 1,000 kilograms," said Zhao.

The planting area of walnut trees in the village surpasses 3,000 mu (200 hectares), including more than 2,000 mu of trees that bear fruit, which are expected to yield over 50,000 kilograms of walnuts.

"Our village will enhance the management of walnut planting to increase output, and integrate existing resources to increase walnut processing capabilities and develop products such as walnut sugar and walnut oil to fatten the wallets of villagers," said Guo Guangzhen, deputy head of the Mojiao village.

Photo shows fresh walnuts in Hezhang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Li Xueyou)

To boost the development of the walnut industry and rural revitalization, the government of Zhuming township has actively expanded sales channels of walnuts by signing cooperation agreements with two companies.

"This year, our company signed an agreement with the township government, under which cooperatives will buy the walnuts of villagers and train them to select high-quality walnuts so that walnuts with different quality levels can be sold at different prices," said Chang Yu, general manager of one of the two companies.

"Last year, my family's walnuts were sold between 10 yuan ($1.37) and 12 yuan per kilogram. This year, the selling price reached 30 yuan per kilogram," said Lang Xuemei, a villager in Haitian village in the township.

A farmer sells fresh walnuts in Hezhang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Li Xueyou)

"This year, 78,200 mu of walnut trees have entered the harvest season in our township. The walnut output is expected to reach about 800 tonnes, expanding the income for each household by an average of more than 1,000 yuan," said He Jiang, Party chief of Zhuming township.

In recent years, Hezhang county has vigorously guided people to develop the walnut industry and promoted the planting of high-quality walnut varieties. The county has planted walnut trees on 520,000 mu of land, including 345,000 mu of grafted varieties, generating an annual output value of 1.5 billion yuan.

The walnut industry has become an important sector that boosts rural revitalization in the county.

Photo shows fresh walnut kernels. (Photo/Li Xueyou)

Hezhang county is a national-level base for fine varieties of walnut trees and a national-level demonstration zone for the standardized planting of walnut trees. It will establish an industrial chain that encompasses production, supply, processing and sales of walnuts to upgrade the walnut industry and improve the quality and efficiency of the sector, said Chen Gang, head of the forestry bureau of the county.

Photo shows walnut trees. (Photo/Li Xueyou)