Fresh strawberries go global from northeast Chinese city

SHENYANG, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- At the break of dawn, amid a bone-chilling temperature in Donggang in northeast China's Liaoning Province, workers were busy picking red and ripe strawberries hidden under the leaves in the greenhouse.

The fresh-picked strawberries were then gently weighed, neatly placed on foam trays, and packed in cardboard boxes in the strawberry packing factory of the Donggang Nongdao Agriculture And Forestry Technology Co., Ltd., waiting to be shipped overseas via vehicles and planes.

"Over 300 boxes of strawberries were sent overseas today. On the next day, they would be placed on the shelves of supermarkets in Singapore, Thailand, and other countries," said Ma Tingdong, head of the company. "This winter, overseas orders for fresh strawberries surged."

At the 20th China International Agricultural Trade Fair held in November 2023, the company reached cooperative intentions with many foreign clients from Singapore, Indonesia, and other countries. The company's fresh strawberry exports reached 2 million yuan (about 281,000 U.S. dollars) in December 2023, while the value is expected to exceed 3 million yuan in January, according to Ma.

Starting to cultivate strawberries a century ago, the icy northeast city of Donggang is now China's largest strawberry production and export base. According to the Donggang Agricultural and Rural Bureau, the strawberry production area in Donggang has reached 200,000 mu (about 13,333 hectares), with an annual production of 300,000 tonnes. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the sales of fresh strawberries in Donggang reached more than 2 billion yuan.

"Donggang's strawberries are popular for their plump shape and sweet taste, thanks to the favorable natural conditions for strawberry planting," said Jiang Zhaotong, deputy director of Liaoning Strawberry Research Institute of Science and Technology.

With Changbai Mountain blocking the cold air from the north and the Yellow Sea bringing warm and humid air from the south, Donggang enjoys a mild climate compared with other northeast cities. Sufficient sunlight, rainfall, and fertile soil rich in organic matter make the city conducive to cultivating high-quality strawberries, Jiang explained.

New technology applications have also advanced the productivity and quality of strawberries. Jiang said that through a smart temperature monitoring system, farmers can now monitor and control the temperature inside the greenhouse between 5 and 28 degrees Celsius simply through their smartphones.

"Having adopted the Internet of Things and other digital technologies, every strawberry produced by our company is traceable," said Ma, also the director of the local strawberry-growing association. When customers scan the QR code on the box of strawberries, information including date of picking, producer, process of cultivation, and fertilization will pop out on the phone screen.

While Ma's fresh strawberries have gradually won the favor of international customers through its product quality, fast customs clearance has also made it possible for more Donggang strawberries to go abroad.

Dadonggang Customs has launched a special green channel for the time-urgent clearance of fresh strawberries, expediting declaration and inspection procedures to minimize the clearance time.

"It only takes less than half a day to complete customs clearance, which is the best 'preservative' for strawberries," Ma said.

"Look, these strawberries just placed on the supermarket shelves are from Donggang," Ma said proudly, watching a video sent by his Indonesian customer. "In the future, we will continue to expand our export business and make the world fall in love with Donggang strawberries!"