District in China's Shandong thrives in winter jujube industry

Not long ago, 20,000 kilograms of winter jujubes departed from a company in Dagao township, Zhanhua district, Binzhou city, east China's Shandong Province for the Netherlands.

This marked the first time that Zhanhua winter jujubes were sold to Europe. Zhanhua winter jujubes have reached markets in the United States, Canada, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.

"Our company has received overseas orders for 2,000 tonnes of winter jujubes so far this year," said Mou Xin'an, general manager of the company, adding that many clients have recently placed additional orders.

Photo shows a new variety of winter jujube cultivated by Ji Xiumei, a winter jujube grower in Daxin village, Huangsheng township, Zhanhua district, Binzhou city, east China's Shandong Province. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Kang Pu)

Zhanhua is one of China's main winter jujube-producing areas. Located in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, it boasts of saline-alkali land suitable for growing winter jujube trees.

The district has developed the winter jujube industry to benefit local people. Zhanhua winter jujube is recognized as a geographical indication product in China.

The planting area of winter jujube trees in Zhanhua reaches 300,000 mu (20,000 hectares). This year, the output of winter jujubes in the district reached 285 million kilograms, generating an output value of more than 5 billion yuan ($695 million).

Xiawa township is the place of origin and a main producing area of Zhanhua winter jujube, said Wei Shuzhu, Party chief of the township.

The township has planted winter jujube trees on 98,000 mu of land, accounting for nearly one-third of the total planting area of winter jujube trees in Zhanhua.

Workers sort winter jujubes at a company workshop in Zhanhua district, Binzhou city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo courtesy of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Zhanhua district committee)

In 1984, technicians found 56 high-quality jujube trees in Zhanhua, including more than 20 in Xiawa township. "One jujube tree in the township was more than 600 years old," said 70-year-old Yu Hongchang, director of the winter jujube research institute in Zhanhua.

It was not easy to turn jujube trees into a prosperous industry. The local government then organized scientific research resources for the breeding of winter jujube trees. It took nine years for the local government to realize the large-scale planting of winter jujube trees after the discovery of those high-quality jujube trees.

"Zhanhua winter jujube has become a national geographical indication product and a calling card of Zhanhua," said Yuan Zhiyong, the Party chief of Zhanhua district.

This year marked the 16th Zhanhua winter jujube competition, during which the shape, color, taste, hardness and sweetness of winter jujubes were appraised by experts.

Jiang Zhuting, 68, is a renowned winter jujube grower in Huangsheng township of Zhanhua district. His winter jujubes won a silver award at the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition.

Jiang planted a new variety of winter jujube. "My winter jujubes are sold at 100 yuan per kilogram. And those packed in non-woven bags are sold at 200 yuan per kilogram. I don't need to worry about the sales of my winter jujubes," Jiang said.

Jiang attributed his success to the efforts of the county government and township government that invited professionals to guide jujube growers, provided new varieties, and offered subsidies to build jujube greenhouses.

"Now I can earn 400,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan from my jujube orchard covering 6 mu of land," Jiang said, recalling that he only earned 10 yuan in the first year when he began to plant winter jujube trees more than 10 years ago.

Judges score contestants' winter jujubes during the 16th Zhanhua winter jujube competition. (Photo courtesy of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Zhanhua district committee)

Jiang has become a senior agronomist, who has cultivated several "experts of winter jujube planting." Experts like Jiang emerge as a vital force in the development of the winter jujube industry.

Ji Xiumei, a villager in Daxin village of Huangsheng township, won the 16th Zhanhua winter jujube competition. Ji cultivated a new variety of winter jujubes. "I have planted over 200 winter jujube trees of this variety, which achieve stable yields. I plan to share the variety with more jujube growers," Ji said.

At a smart greenhouse of the winter jujube research institute in Zhanhua, a large screen displays real-time data such as air temperature, humidity, soil temperature, soil moisture, carbon dioxide levels, and illumination intensity.

"We've adopted fully automated smart devices and applied technologies like the Internet of Things, big data, and marginal calculation to create an intelligent winter jujube management platform that ensures efficient cultivation of the fruit," Yu said.

A farmer smiles as she holds winter jujubes. (Photo courtesy of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Zhanhua district committee)

Thanks to the smart platform, conditions and the environment can be managed via real-time monitoring. This means that orchardists can adjust the humidity, temperature, and illumination in the greenhouse to promote the growth of winter jujubes.

Today, winter jujubes in Zhanhua can be harvested from mid-July to mid-November. "With three more months of cooling storage, winter jujubes are suitable to be sold for eight months," said Yu.

Noting that technological development and brand building are key to the high-quality development of the winter jujube industry, Yuan called for efforts to continue to cultivate leading enterprises, extend the industrial chain, and build a complete industrial ecology to further promote the development of the sector.