Plums from Songpan’s Highland Orchards Reach Markets Across China Reach Markets Across China
Dragon Media News Desk
Plums are being harvested and sent to market in Zhenjiangguan town, Songpan County, in China’s Sichuan Province. Grower Li Hong is picking, sorting and packing fruit from an orchard covering about 50 mu of land.
Li expects this year’s harvest to total 60,000 to 70,000 jin, equivalent to roughly 30 to 35 tonnes. He said yields can reach 4,000 jin per mu under favourable conditions, although his estimate for this year’s total harvest is lower than a calculation based on that figure across the entire orchard.
The fruit is graded and packed after harvest. Li sells through online orders and to buyers who come directly to the orchard. He said he had prepared more than 140 boxes of plums and about 200 boxes of highland pears in one day for shipment to Chengdu, Chongqing and Zhejiang.
Long hours of sunshine and a marked difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures support fruit growing in the area. Local growers say road transport, faster deliveries and online sales are helping their fresh produce reach customers farther afield.
