Xiacheng orange sales season begins

By Chen Zai, Yichang International Communication Studio

It’s June, and orange growers and workers in Zigui County are phasing out their Lunwan spring oranges and replacing them with Xiacheng summer oranges. 

 

Zugui is one of the rare places where different varieties of oranges ripen all year round.

 

Zigui Xiacheng oranges have a particularly long growth cycle of up to 14 months. They bloom in early April of Year#1 and are harvested in the summer of Year#2, with peel color changing "from green to yellow three times". 

 

Xiacheng oranges are juicy and moderately sweet. By filling the space for freshly ripened oranges in summer, Zigui Xiacheng oranges have become the "golden fruit" for local orange farmers. 

 

At the Zigui Xiacheng Orchard Opening Ceremony held on May 25, a Hunan company signed a 20 million yuan (US$2.80 million) contract on the spot to purchase 4,000 tonnes of Xiacheng oranges.

 

Zigui’s Xietan Town is the main production area of Xiacheng oranges. Eleven villages of the town plant Xiacheng, covering an area of over 1,333 hectares, with a yield exceeding 40,000 tonnes and a sales output value exceeding 200 million yuan.