The Current State of Walnut Industry Development in China

  In the vast hilly and mountainous areas of northern and southern China, agricultural production conditions are relatively poor, especially with a severe shortage of water resources. Taking this basic national condition as the starting point when developing fruit tree production is an important principle for us in implementing the Scientific Development Concept formulated by the Party Central Committee in the agricultural field and building a harmonious socialist society. Fruit tree production has always been one of the most important areas of agricultural production in China, and it is also a highlight of current agricultural economic growth and a hot spot in the adjustment of the agricultural industrial structure.

Pictured: walnut

  In recent years, under the guidance of the national policies of environmental protection and returning farmland to forest, many places have made developing the walnut industry the main content of implementing the return of farmland to forest, which has greatly promoted the rapid increase in walnut acreage. As an economic forest tree species with strong adaptability and high economic value that is suitable for development in vast areas of China, walnut has already become one of the pillar industries of new efficient agriculture in some rural areas of China, and has become a new economic growth point for increasing farmers' wealth.

  Walnut originated in China and Central Asia, and is currently widely distributed around the world, with good adaptability to different climate types and site conditions. In China's Xinjiang and Tibet, not only are there widely distributed ancient walnut tree resources, but the Chinese people also began cultivating walnuts very early, forming the earliest and largest walnut production bases, including the northwest region represented by Xinjiang and the southwest region represented by Yunnan. However, due to various reasons, the current state of walnut production in China is large in scale with relatively high yield but low quality, and the benefits still need to be improved, which is completely unable to meet the large demand for walnut products in domestic and international markets. Another tendency worth noting is that in the process of implementing the return of farmland to forest policy, problems have appeared in many places in two aspects: first, the phenomenon of planting large numbers of walnut seedling trees without grafting, resulting in mature walnut trees that do not bear fruit for a long time or bear fruit without varietal typicality; second, the rapid development of walnuts in a short period, with quality seedlings in short supply, causing mixed varieties and a very low rate of improved varieties. The emergence of these problems will restrict the healthy development of China's walnut industry not only at present but also for a considerable period in the future.

  This current situation not only indicates the backwardness of our fruit tree industry, but also provides an opportunity for development for China's agriculture and forestry industry. Following the basic guiding ideology for developing fruit trees - "adjust measures to local conditions, suit the tree to the site" - we should vigorously develop water-saving and drought-resistant nut fruit trees in arid and semi-arid areas, represented by walnut, to form a high-standard, high-benefit nut industry.