Cherry harvest in Taishan District, Shandong, is inseparable from large-scale operations

June is the season for cherries to hit the market. In the orchards of Jiuxian Village, Qiujiadian Town, Taishan District, Shandong Province, round cherries can be seen hanging all over the branches, like countless glistening red agates, attracting people who come to pick them.

“The large cherries here can sell for about 30 yuan per kilogram this year. My family has planted 3 mu of large cherries, and we have already harvested over 1,000 kilograms, a considerable increase over previous years.” a fruit grower told this writer with a smile. The cherries have not yet been fully picked, and their family's income has already reached more than 40,000 yuan. The bountiful cherry harvest should be attributed to the local transfer of land for large-scale operations and the timely support of microcredit.

The development of the cherry industry in Taishan District originated from local large-scale land operators —— Shengtian Agriculture and Forestry Technology Development Co., Ltd. and several other agricultural enterprises, which adopted the “company + farmers” model, transferred the land of local farmers to develop large-scale operations, and drove farmers to develop distinctive industries.

Through land transfer, the cherry output value in Taishan District rose from more than 20 million yuan to nearly 100 million yuan this year. The development of the industry has also benefited from the support of Taishan Rural Commercial Bank, which, based on local characteristics, promptly launched microcredit products such as “Weishidai” and stepped up support for local large-scale operations.

Sun Chongzhen