Chinese pomegranate cultivation

Author: Chief Editor: He Tianfu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-12-01
Features:
Fragment: In 1997, four national coordination group meetings and one early-maturing pomelo symposium were held successively in Yuhuan, Zhejiang; Chongqing; Heping, Fujian; Gongcheng, Guangxi; and Yongjia, Zhejiang. A total of 201 high-quality pomelo or superior strain samples were selected from various production areas for evaluation at these five meetings. Among them, 55 varieties or strains won the Golden Cup Award, demonstrating that after thousands of years of cultivation, pomelo has a rich resource of high-quality varieties, providing favorable genetic material for production development. Among these, Wuhuan Wen, Guanxi Honey Pomelo, Cangnan Four Seasons Pomelo, Neijiang Tongxian Pomelo, Guang'an Long'an Pomelo, Nanbu Crisp Sweet Pomelo, Yongjia Early Fragrant Pomelo, Zigong Longdu Early Fragrant Pomelo, Xindu Pomelo, Pingshan Pomelo, and Shantian Pomelo from places like Gongcheng, Rong County, and Changshou, etc., have been honored multiple times. Due to the recognition from producers and expert evaluators, the confidence of local development has been strengthened, and the brand effect quickly promoted production development. The growth in production has further boosted economic benefits and gained recognition from consumers. With the further development of pomelo production, high-quality pomelo products can not only enter households, enriching the lives of the Chinese people, but also gain prominence in the international market. In addition to the traditional famous Shantian Pomelo, which has a certain reputation in the international market, the emerging Wuhuan Wen and Guanxi Honey Pomelo have also achieved high acclaim.
According to incomplete statistics, there are nearly 100 pomelo varieties currently used in production in China. However, new development areas primarily focus on local famous and high-quality products. Currently, the largest planting area is for Shantian Pomelo and its strains, which reached 72,400 hectares in 1995, accounting for 51.2% of the total pomelo planting area that year. Second is Guanxi Honey Pomelo, covering 16,300 hectares, or 11.62% of the total area. The third-largest is Liangping Pomelo and its strains, such as Dachu's Fenghuang Pomelo, Guang'an's Baishi Pomelo, and Long'an Pomelo, covering 8,000 hectares, or 5.7% of the total area. The three varieties and their strains account for 95,400 hectares, or 67.5% of the total pomelo planting area. Varieties with a planting area of over 3,300 hectares also include Wuhuan Wen, Changshan Hu (a hybrid of pomelo and orange), Anyue Tongxian Pomelo, and Crisp Sweet Pomelo, totaling 15,000 hectares, or 10.4% of the total area. It is evident that these seven varieties account for approximately 80% of China's current pomelo cultivation area. Due to their excellent variety characteristics, high-quality pomelo attracts both producers and consumers, and many production areas have chosen them as the primary varieties for structural adjustment. Particularly in areas recognized for their high-quality pomelo, such as those awarded Ministry-level or Agri-Expo gold medals or the Golden Cup Award in national pomelo evaluations, these varieties are developed as main crops. For example, Heping has established a 6,670-hectare Guanxi Honey Pomelo base, Yuhuan has a 3,780-hectare coastal tidal flat base for high-quality Wen (due to severe pre-harvest fruit cracking, it has hindered further development), and southern Crisp Sweet Pomelo, Anyue Tongxian Pomelo base, etc., all have planting areas exceeding 3,300 hectares.
Currently, according to incomplete statistics, there are 36 counties in China with pomelo planting areas exceeding 6,670 hectares, all focusing on high-quality, famous pomelo varieties. The county with the largest pomelo planting area is Meixian, Guangdong. In 1996, the planting area reached 11,000 hectares, with a yield of 155,000 tons, and an average yield of 929.8 kg per 666.7 m2. If the productive area is considered as 8,300 hectares, the average yield per 666.7 m2 is even higher, reaching 1,250 kg, ranking first in the country. As for new high-quality pomelo areas like Tongxian Pomelo, Crisp Sweet Pomelo, Long'an Pomelo, Longdu Early Fragrant Pomelo, and Yongjia Early Fragrant Pomelo, they are still in the development stage, with 80%–90% of the area consisting of young trees. According to surveys, the national pomelo production rate in 1995 was only 33.13%. On a planting area basis, the average yield per 666.7 m2 was only 221.7 kg, while on a productive area basis, the yield per 666.7 m2 was 669.1 kg, indicating significant production potential.
### III. A Qualitative Leap in Production Models
For thousands of years, pomelo production primarily followed the small-scale, household-based model. With the rapid development of China's citrus industry in the 1980s, pomelo plantations not only expanded uphill and along riverbanks but also concentrated into large-scale, industrialized developments in main production areas to maximize economic benefits. For example, in Jiangyong County, traditional Xiang production was limited to a small area around Cuoishi Town due to the constraints of small-scale farming and technological limitations. A household typically planted only one to two trees, with some having seven to eight, and it was rare to see plantations of over 20 trees. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the government prioritized Xiang production, but due to immature technology, funding, and management, the planting area in 1994 remained only 2,600 hectares, with an annual yield of 5,000 tons. Xiang remained a "treasure hidden in the mountains" unknown to many, not yet entering the mainstream market.
In 1995, former Hunan Provincial Party Secretary Wang Maolin established a Xiang development base in Jiangyong, leveraging natural and variety advantages to plant over 600 hectares of Xiang and promote the development of hilly areas in the province. The county first implemented correct policy guidance, formulating policies such as "A Decision to Accelerate the Construction of 10,000 Mu (6,670 hectares) of Xiang" and "Regulations on Building 10,000 Mu (6,670 hectares) of Xiang Bases." These policies outlined specific rules for land transfer, funding, taxation, social services, and social security to motivate all parties to participate in Xiang base construction. At the same time, they seized the opportunity to be recognized as the "Hometown of Chinese Xiang" to enhance publicity and cohesion, and organized various activities such as "Hosting Events with Xiang, Festivals with Xiang, Building Friendships with Xiang, and Writing with Xiang" to guide public opinion. They also promoted success stories of families getting rich through Xiang production, significantly boosting the construction of Xiang bases.
To adapt to the modern orchard development, the 13,000-hectare base required substantial investment. The county first established a land transfer mechanism to encourage farmers and local units to participate with land, labor, and capital, while actively attracting external investment to drive development. Inspired by the provincial party secretary's leadership, 179 government and public institutions have established Xiang plantations in Jiangyong since 1995, including 33 provincial-level, 25 municipal-level, and 121 county-level units, covering 1,400 hectares. They have also attracted external merchants to lease land for development. Currently, nine foreign businesses have been brought in, covering 660 hectares. Through large-scale contract farming, there are now 1,464 households with Xiang planting areas exceeding 1 hectare, totaling 1,840 hectares, forming a strong force in Xiang production development.
For newly built Xiang plantations, emphasis was placed on planning, funding, and management being implemented in one go. Hunan Provincial Department of Agriculture invested 2.8 million yuan in Yunshan, Jiangyong, to build 666 hectares of new Xiang plantations, with roads, electricity, water, irrigation channels, reservoirs, buildings, and enclosures all planned and completed in one go. Lingling Cigarette Factory invested 6 million yuan to plant 100 hectares of high-standard Xiang in three months, followed by constructing 30 km of orchard roads and bringing irrigation water to the plantations. A group of young people from Guangzhou invested 2 million yuan to establish a Xiang plantation in 1993, planting 26.7 hectares in one year and achieving significant economic benefits in the third year. In 1996, they invested another 800,000 yuan to build a pig farm with a capacity of 2,000 pigs. A "10" Xiang belt has formed along the provincial road 1862, creating a "carrier of the century centered around Xiang."
Meixian, Guangdong, follows the principle of "unified planning, contiguous development, unchanged mountain ownership, household contracts, dual management, and shared prosperity" in its pomelo base construction. The main approaches include:
1. Unified planning and, breaking regional boundaries to attract talent and funding for high-quality, high-standard development.
2. Land adjustment between governments and households to achieve unchanged areas but relocated and concentrated for large-scale operations.
3. Government and enterprise participation in pomelo enterprises through independent or joint ventures, encouraging entrepreneurs, foreign investors, and private individuals to return to their hometowns for contract farming, promoting diverse management models.
4. Promoting the "one pit, one mountain, one orchard, one forest, one pen, and one pond" model, along with biogas construction, to reduce costs and increase benefits. Currently, 70,000 out of 120,000 households in the county grow gold pomelo, with 55,000 having orchard areas exceeding 0.2 hectares, planting 11,500 hectares of fruit, raising 325,000 pigs, and 5 million chickens, ducks, and geese, with 90 hectares of fish ponds. In 1996, five large-scale orchards of dozens of hectares were established with foreign investment, and hundreds of households adopted the small-orchard model.
Production drives circulation, and circulation promotes production. For years, they have focused on "developing market systems, rationalizing distribution channels, and cultivating sales carriers." They have adopted multiple channels, levels, forms, and approaches to expand the market, ensuring equal importance is given to sales and planting. At the same time, they have held exhibitions, fairs, trade talks, and the World Hakka Conference to enhance visibility and promote development.