A Record of the Goji Berry Industry Development in Jingyuan County, Gansu
Right now, walking into the vast fields of Xinbaozi Chuan, the ten-thousand-mu standardized goji berry orchards of Jingyuan County stretch out in neat plots and beds, lush with green, like an ecological safety barrier that has been put in place; the goji berry trees growing vigorously in the orchards are already covered with purple, red or white goji flowers, and wave after wave of floral fragrance refreshes the heart; the goji farmers working in the fields, whether watering, fertilizing or weeding, have faces streaming with sweat and filled with the joy of harvest...
Jingyuan County's superior natural conditions, long planting history and mature cultivation techniques make Jingyuan goji berries exquisite as fresh fruit and deep red as dried fruit, with large berries and bright color, thin skin and thick flesh, a sweet taste, pure quality and green safety, and they are known as "the finest goji berries" and "a famous product of Longshang." In recent years, following the development approach of "build bases, strengthen standards, build brands," Jingyuan County has treated the goji berry industry as a leading industry for enriching the people and strengthening the county, and through effective measures such as policy guidance, loan support, market traction and scientific and technological promotion, it has actively mobilized the planting enthusiasm of the broad masses of farmers, using bases to develop the industry and the industry to drive the bases, focusing on cultivating an advantageous industry that promotes farmers' income growth, and constantly increasing the intensity of goji berry industry development. The scale of goji berry planting has continued to expand, and the economic benefits have become increasingly prominent.
As of now, goji berry planting in the county has spread across 14 townships including Wuhe, Jing'an, Dongsheng and Beitan, with a planting area of 241,000 mu. Relying on Gansu Agricultural University, the Provincial Academy of Forestry Sciences and the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 13 improved varieties and 3 new technologies have been introduced and promoted, 1 goji berry research and development center has been built, and more than 120 intelligent goji berry drying rooms have been completed; a 500-mu improved seedling breeding base has been built, and the popularization rate of improved varieties has reached 100%; 2 ten-thousand-mu organic goji berry demonstration bases, 4 ten-thousand-mu green demonstration bases and 15 thousand-mu high-quality pollution-free demonstration bases have been cultivated and built. In 2016, a total of 32,300 tons of dried fruit were produced, with an output value of 1.48 billion yuan. The per capita goji berry industry income of farmers was about 4,000 yuan, accounting for 60% of the per capita disposable income of farmers, driving 16,000 households and more than 100,000 farmers in the county to escape poverty and become prosperous. The goji berry industry has become the "golden fruit industry" that promotes agricultural efficiency, farmers' income growth and rural development throughout the county.
In order to further make the goji berry industry bigger and stronger, more refined and better, Jingyuan County has continuously extended the industrial chain and, by methods such as attracting investment and providing financial support, has successively built leading goji berry processing enterprises such as "Jinqi Fuyuan," "Baiyin Ruiyi," "Gansu Dingxin" and "Jingyuan Qizheng," as well as farmers' cooperatives represented by "Gaoyuanhong" and "Jintianye," cultivated and built well-known brands such as "Gaoyuanhong," "Chuanqingnong," "Longyuanhong," "Jing'an" and "Ruiyi Qibao," supported the establishment of 88 goji berry planting and sales professional cooperatives, registered 36 goji berry trademarks, and developed series products such as goji honey, goji tea and goji juice, initially forming an industrial chain integrating technical research, planting management, deep processing and product sales. Jingyuan goji berries have entered a path of industrialized, intensive, large-scale and brand-based development.
Jingyuan goji berries have successively won honors such as "Top Ten Famous Fruits of Gansu Province," "Gold Award of the National Agricultural Products Expo" and "Gold Award of the Shijiazhuang China Forest and Fruit Expo"; in 2010, they passed the "National Food Safety Management System" certification, obtained a "Customs Certificate" and acquired export rights; in 2012, they were certified by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine as a "National Geographical Indication Protected Product"; in 2014, they passed the certification of "National Green Food Base Raw Material (Goji Berry) Standardized Production Base"; in 2015, "Jingyuan Goji Berry" reached the China Brand Value List, with a brand value of 1.38 billion yuan.
It is expected that by the end of the "13th Five-Year Plan," the goji berry planting area in Jingyuan will reach 260,000 mu, with an annual output of 65,000 tons of dried fruit and an output value of 3.6 billion yuan.
Author: Song Bingdi