Grow better, ship faster, sell more - the winning formula for Zigui citrus success!
On Apr. 16, the Hubei Provincial Society of Citriculture hosted its 2023 congress alongside the debut of the Three Gorges Citrus Industry Research Institute（the Citrus Development Exchange Meeting of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area）. The event took place in Zigui County, Yichang City and witnessed the presence of over 200 experts and scholars who gathered in the birthplace of Qu Yuan (a famous patriotic poet of ancient China), to conduct in-depth research on the whole industry chain of Zigui citrus and engage in an array of informative exchanges.
Hubei Province takes pride in being the leading producer of citrus, with a planting area of 599,600 acres and output of 5.38 million tons. The citrus industry is undoubtedly a vital pillar of the province's economy. Zigui County, also known as the "hometown of Chinese navel oranges," stands out as the only county-level area for the large-scale production of "year-round fresh oranges" in China. The decision to host the meeting and to establish the research institute in Zigui carries great significance in strengthening “Origin-based Research” of the industry.
Before the meeting, participants visited the leading citrus processing company, Qugu International Agricultural Group. Additionally, they examined the progress of the navel orange e-commerce in the local top e-commerce company, Guoqu E-commerce. Furthermore, attendees explored the integrated development of Zigui navel orange agriculture, culture, and tourism by inspecting the citrus orchards in Shuitianba Township.
In the opening ceremony, Prof Liu Jihong, Director of the Hubei Provincial Society of Citriculture, stressed that late-maturing navel oranges feature prominently in Hubei citrus industry and Zigui is the largest producer of such oranges in China. Despite its long history of citrus cultivation, Zigui's orchards suffer from poor growing conditions due to its mountainous terrain. However, thanks to generations of innovative researchers, Zigui's farmers have weathered these challenges, leading to the flourishing development of the industry today.
The Zigui navel orange industry is a fine example of the thriving citrus industry in Hubei. With the joint efforts of the government, scientists, entrepreneurs, and farmers, the industry has flourished with scientific and technological innovations driving progress across the whole supply chain.
In the unveiling ceremony of the Three Gorges Citrus Industry Research Institute, a total of 20 experts and professors were appointed as the founding members, while three leading projects in the citrus industry were also announced. This sparked a lively exchange of ideas among all participants in attendance.
Yang Yong, the Party Secretary of Zigui, shared some impressive facts about the local citrus industry during his speech. With a planting area of 400,000 mu, the area produces 1 million tons of citrus, generating an annual revenue of 20 billion yuan. The success of this thriving industry can be attributed to the mutually beneficial relationship between talents and the industry. Furthermore, the efforts of eminent scholars like Prof. Zhang Wencai and Prof. Deng Xiuxin(a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering) have played a vital role in driving the Zigui citrus industry to new heights.
In recent years, Zigui has made a great effort to attract talents by leveraging its thriving citrus industry. This effort includes the establishment of a county-wide skilled talent database focusing on the entire life cycle of the industry, encompassing all links of the industry chain. Agricultural personnel in Zigui were also encouraged to apply for professional and technical titles, resulting in a 20% increase in the number of local farmers who obtain technical titles at or above the intermediate level by 2022 and 46 of them have been awarded the honorary title of "Top 100 Farmers" in Yichang City.
During the congress, “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Incubation Base”, “Talent Training and Cultivation Base”, “Training Base for Whole Industry Chain Innovation Technology of the Three Gorges Citrus Industry Research Institute” have been inaugurated with the aim of attracting talents to Zigui County.
In the afternoon, participants visited the orange orchards in Guizhou Town and Shuitianba Township. The scenic views of the Yangtze River mirroring orange flowers and fruits growing from the same branch, left a deep impression. Many couldn't help but take photos and express their appreciation for the natural beauty.
Zigui adheres to the principle of preserving its natural resources and has made ecological conservation and green development a top priority. Taking advantage of the brand advantage of “Year-round Fresh Orange”, the county has developed a signature business model for the citrus industry that integrates production, supply, and marketing and combines agriculture, culture, and tourism.
Zigui's commendable efforts in promoting the "navel orange plus Qu Yuan culture" and "navel orange plus tourism" concepts have resulted in the establishment of 12 bases that integrates agriculture and tourism. Thus, Zigui has been recognized as one the 150 excellent tourism routes by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
Currently, Zigui has achieved a breakthrough in the development of its e-commerce industry, creating a virtuous cycle of “Grow better, ship faster, sell more”, with an annual revenue of over 3.3 billion yuan.
Today, more than 90% of the towns and townships, over 80% of administrative villages, and more than 70% of the population have been engaged in the navel orange-related industries. It has led to a considerable increase in the average annual household income of citrus growers, exceeding 100,000 yuan. Furthermore, the number of the villages with a industry output value of more than 100 million has reached a staggering 12.
Link to the original text：https://news.hubeidaily.net/hubeidailyshare/#/news_detail?contentType=5&contentId=1410255&cId=0&tencentShare=1
Source: http://news.hzau.edu.cn/2023/0417/66196.shtml
Translated by: Deng Yuxiang
Supervised by: Guo Haiyan
