Taiwan papaya introduced and cultivated in Chaozhou, Guangdong

In the papaya ecological garden in Yanei Village, Ximei Management Area, Guihu Town, Chao'an County, Chaozhou City, Guangdong, papaya trees about two meters tall form a lush green expanse, their fruits hanging low along the trunks like strings of firecrackers…… It is understood that these papayas are a new variety introduced from Taiwan around Qingming in 2015, and they let Wen Xiangteng, who tried growing them for the first time, taste the sweetness of a bumper harvest.

[Reclaiming Wasteland to Trial-Plant Taiwan Papaya]

Wen Xiangteng, 37 years old, has been farming for more than ten years. In Yanei Village, Ximei Management Area, Guihu Town, he has long grown bayberry and Chinese olive, and also raised two fish ponds. In 2014, Wen Xiangteng began to pay attention to a large stretch of wasteland beside his fish ponds. “What a fine piece of land, but unfortunately it is overgrown with weeds. If only it could be used to grow something.” Wen Xiangteng told reporters that just when he was at a loss, a friend's suggestion suddenly enlightened him. The friend suggested that he might as well introduce a new Taiwan papaya variety and try growing it.

No sooner said than done, Wen Xiangteng began running around, going to the homes of farmers in neighboring towns who grow papayas to ask for methods and experience, and also invited experts to study that wasteland to see whether it was suitable for growing papayas. “This preparatory stage alone took three months, but everything was worth it.” Wen Xiangteng treated that wasteland, dug pits, and buried farmyard manure to prepare for planting papayas.

[Careful Cultivation, Each Tree Can Yield 100 Jin of Fruit]

Around Qingming in 2015, Wen Xiangteng began trial-planting the new papaya variety introduced from Taiwan at the entrance of Yanei Village, with more than 1,000 plants in total. Wen Xiangteng insisted on irrigating the seedlings with mountain spring water and actively prevented and controlled pests and diseases. “The control of fruit flies is the most important thing, but pesticides cannot be sprayed, otherwise the fruit produced will no longer be of pollution-free quality.” Pointing to a yellow sticker hanging on a papaya tree, he introduced to reporters that he used this kind of “fruit fly sticky trap” on every seedling, which can catch many fruit flies without damaging the quality of the papayas, making it safe and environmentally friendly.

In October 2015, the more than 1,000 papaya trees finally bore fruit, and the papaya ecological garden was thus born. Wen Xiangteng introduced that October to December each year is the period when papayas grow best. Reporters saw strings of papayas hanging on the trunks, large in size and smooth in skin. When cut open, orange-red flesh could be seen, and it tasted very fresh and sweet. “According to the current growth situation, in 2015 each tree can yield more than 100 jin of papayas.” Wen Xiangteng estimates that in 2016 the papaya output may even double.

[Demand Exceeds Supply, Attracting Citizens to Pick Papayas for Fun]

“Since October, people have come every day to pick papayas, especially on weekends, when there are the most people.” According to Wen Xiangteng, he has now opened sales channels for his own papayas, attracting citizens and tourists to the papaya ecological garden so that they can sightsee and have fun while picking papayas themselves, and selling them by weight according to what they pick, letting them experience the joy of harvest while also feeling the simple and beautiful rural atmosphere. Wen Xiangteng said that although his papayas are not sent to the market for sale, many people come to pick them, and demand currently exceeds supply.

“Seeing that everyone likes the papayas I grow, my confidence is even greater.” Wen Xiangteng felt very gratified.