Cultivation Experience of Large-Scale Citrus Grower Zheng Yufang

    In the golden autumn season, the fragrance of citrus fills the air. In the orange orchard of Zheng Yufang, a large-scale citrus grower in Jiukeng Township, a scene of abundant harvest unfolds. Citrus farmers are busy picking fruit, sorting fruit, and packing baskets, preparing to sell to merchants who have come to purchase citrus.  

Zheng Yufang, 38 years old this year, is a native of Zhonglian Village, Jiukeng Township. For many years, guided by her life belief that "only with a dream in your heart can there be hope," she has cultivated barren hills with passion and created wealth with perseverance. After more than ten years of arduous entrepreneurship, she now owns 106 mu of high-quality, high-yield citrus demonstration base. In 2007, it produced 180,000 jin of citrus at an annual output value of 150,000 yuan. In 2008, the annual output value is expected to break through the 200,000 yuan mark.  

Zheng Yufang was born into an ordinary family in Zhonglian Village. However, because the family had far too little farmland, they scraped by on a tiny plot, living a poor life of rising at dawn to work and resting at sunset. She felt deeply dissatisfied, so Zheng Yufang could only go out to work as a migrant laborer. For generations, besides tending a few small plots at home, her ancestors had more or less planted some citrus. Thanks to the suitable climate and soil, the locally produced oranges had a unique flavor: large fruit, thin peel, sweet taste, and bright color. Nanpu Red Mandarin also became famous unintentionally.  

While working in Hangzhou, Zheng Yufang had a comfortable and easy job, but she always longed to return home and start a new career. To realize this wish, she looked for information while gathering market intelligence. After a period of investigation and analysis, she set her sights on an organic fruit development project. Just then, in 1993, a golden opportunity arose: the local government called on villagers to plant citrus on a large scale. But because transportation was extremely inconvenient at the time, information was quite scarce, and the villagers' thinking was relatively outdated, they had doubts about developing citrus and their enthusiasm for planting was low. When Zheng Yufang, working in Hangzhou, heard the news, she immediately rushed home. She thought that Jiukeng's Nanpu Red Mandarin had a certain reputation, and with green mountains and clear waters, fertile soil, a very obvious lake effect, and abundant rainfall, it had natural conditions uniquely suited to developing citrus production. Moreover, as people's living standards continued to rise, the market prospects for high-quality, premium citrus were becoming broader and broader. After careful consideration, despite the well-intentioned discouragement of relatives and friends, Zheng Yufang resolutely took out a loan to contract 106 mu of village collective barren hill and signed a 50-year barren hill transfer contract.  

Facing the barren hill overgrown with weeds, Zheng Yufang, a high school graduate, hired experts to test and analyze the soil pH, topography, and landforms of the barren hill. The results showed that the barren hill had four distinct seasons, moderate rainfall, ample sunlight, and fertile soil, making it suitable for citrus. This appraisal result further strengthened Zheng Yufang's confidence and courage to develop the orchard. Zheng Yufang was determined to tell her neighbors through her actions: I will rely on science and technology and hard work to turn this barren hill into a citrus orchard! This petite woman, under the doubtful gazes of others, began clearing the hill and preparing the land with her husband, battling the scorching heat and freezing cold to reclaim the orchard.  

Zheng Yufang deeply understood that in today's world of ever-advancing science and technology, one must not only work hard but also work smart. To this end, while learning from township technical personnel, Zheng Yufang subscribed to a large number of citrus cultivation technology newspapers and journals, and began learning while doing. During the day she stayed in the orchard; at night she studied by lamplight. Wherever she did not understand something, she called county and township technical personnel to humbly seek advice. Hard work pays off. Through Zheng Yufang's unremitting efforts, she finally reclaimed 50 mu of terraced land according to the requirements of a pollution-free standard demonstration base and planted it all with high-quality citrus. Four years later, the 50 mu of citrus began to yield returns. The joy of harvest inspired her tremendous enthusiasm for growing citrus. Through a year-by-year development model, Zheng Yuhua finally completed the transformation of 106 mu of barren hill in 1998.  

In the process of cultivation and management, Zheng Yufang carried out green, pollution-free cultivation, fertilization, pest and disease control, scientific flower and fruit thinning, and scientific shaping and pruning of the fruit seedlings in the orchard to ensure the ecological, environmentally friendly, and pollution-free quality of the fruit. The products from her orchard are smooth and attractive with a pure taste, very popular among consumers, and are sold far to markets in Guangzhou, Shunde, and other places. In 2002, the citrus from her orchard participated in the China Zhejiang Citrus Festival and won a Quality Award. In 2004, following the needs of market development, she promptly implemented the new "three thinnings and two improvements" technique; in 2005, she further implemented new techniques such as top grafting for variety replacement, reflective film mulching, and insect-killing lamps, further improving fruit quality. At the same time, her annual income also increased at a doubling rate.  

Over the years, through her own painstaking exploration, Zheng Yufang accumulated rich practical planting experience and, guided by science and technology, finally opened the door to prosperity. Under her leadership and guidance, the township's citrus planting area has grown to more than 6,000 mu, the premium fruit rate of citrus is above 70%, and there are more than 20 large-scale citrus growers. This year, citrus output is expected to exceed 8,000 tons, with an output value breaking through more than 15 million yuan.