Bailizhou sand pear regains its lost glory
2023-11-13 19:11:44
By Yan Wanqin, Yichang International Communication Studio
It is no long harvest season of Bailizhou sand pears at Heai Village, but local farmer Zhang Jiafen is still selling this popular fruit to all across China.
It is no long harvest season of Bailizhou sand pears at Heai Village, but local farmer Zhang Jiafen is still selling this popular fruit to all across China.
Zhang planted 6 mu (0.4 hectares) of pears this year and harvested 15 tonnes of this fruit. Zhang has built a small cold warehouse in her home and stored up 2 tonnes of her harvest.
"By delaying the sales, my fruits pears are selling well," said Zhang, adding that all her harvest from this year are expected to bring in 120,000 yuan (US$16,444).
Bailizhou is the largest inland river island in the Yangtze River and has been crowned the title of "Home of the Chinese Sand Pear". Surrounded by water, coupled with the sandy soil alluvial by the Yangtze River, the island is very suitable to grow sand pears. In the 1990s, Bailizhou sand pear became popular across the country.
In the peak period, there are more than 100,000 mu of land used to grow Bailizhou sand pear.
However, as Chinese people’s quality of life improved, local sand pear lost their charm because most of them were from old varieties. Their price dropped by 60 to 80 percent and the planting area shrank to only 6,000 mu.
Hu Hongju, an expert at the Fruit and Tea Institute of Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, took notice.
"Only by improving the quality of pears can we prevent prices from falling and increase farmers' incomes," Hu said.
Since 2014, she has led a team to build a sand pear demonstration base in Bailizhou town, introducing new technologies and new varieties, such as Cuiyu and Cuiguan.
"By delaying the sales, my fruits pears are selling well," said Zhang, adding that all her harvest from this year are expected to bring in 120,000 yuan (US$16,444).
Bailizhou is the largest inland river island in the Yangtze River and has been crowned the title of "Home of the Chinese Sand Pear". Surrounded by water, coupled with the sandy soil alluvial by the Yangtze River, the island is very suitable to grow sand pears. In the 1990s, Bailizhou sand pear became popular across the country.
In the peak period, there are more than 100,000 mu of land used to grow Bailizhou sand pear.
However, as Chinese people’s quality of life improved, local sand pear lost their charm because most of them were from old varieties. Their price dropped by 60 to 80 percent and the planting area shrank to only 6,000 mu.
Hu Hongju, an expert at the Fruit and Tea Institute of Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, took notice.
"Only by improving the quality of pears can we prevent prices from falling and increase farmers' incomes," Hu said.
Since 2014, she has led a team to build a sand pear demonstration base in Bailizhou town, introducing new technologies and new varieties, such as Cuiyu and Cuiguan.
Hu also asked for help from Zhang Shaoling, chief expert of the national pear industry technology network. Since 2016, the network has sent many experts to come and help local farmers.
In 2021, the demonstration area was expanded to 2,000 mu, where experts taught cultivation, disease prevention and pest control knowledge to local farmers.
"The Cuiyu pear is juicy, the Cuiguan pear tastes good, the Yuanhuang pear has a round shape, and the Huangjin pear has the highest sugar content," said Bao Chunquan, head of a local fruit and vegetable cooperative.
Gradually, Bailizhou sand pear regained its popularity and orders have come back – at a much higher price.
"A box of premium pears costs 168 yuan, with eight pieces; and a box of next-level quality pears costs 128 yuan, with 12 pieces. Both of them are very popular," Bao said.
In 2021, the demonstration area was expanded to 2,000 mu, where experts taught cultivation, disease prevention and pest control knowledge to local farmers.
"The Cuiyu pear is juicy, the Cuiguan pear tastes good, the Yuanhuang pear has a round shape, and the Huangjin pear has the highest sugar content," said Bao Chunquan, head of a local fruit and vegetable cooperative.
Gradually, Bailizhou sand pear regained its popularity and orders have come back – at a much higher price.
"A box of premium pears costs 168 yuan, with eight pieces; and a box of next-level quality pears costs 128 yuan, with 12 pieces. Both of them are very popular," Bao said.
Thanks to the advanced agricultural technology, the yield in the demonstration base has reach 2,000 kilograms per mu, with 90 percent of the fruits qualifying for the high-quality category and bringing more than 10,000 yuan per mu.
Now Bailizhou has 36,000 mu of pear, with an annual output of 45,000 tons and an output value of more than 400 million yuan. Many farmers sell their harvests through live streaming e-commerce to all across China.
Last July, Zhijiang government signed an agreement with Zhang's team on scientific and technological cooperation. These experts will also introduce new varieties suitable for Zhijiang and provide new technologies, including green pest control and integration of water and fertilizer.
By 2025, the output of the demonstration garden is expected to reach more than 2,500 kilograms per mu, with an output value of more than 15,000 yuan per mu.
Now Bailizhou has 36,000 mu of pear, with an annual output of 45,000 tons and an output value of more than 400 million yuan. Many farmers sell their harvests through live streaming e-commerce to all across China.
Last July, Zhijiang government signed an agreement with Zhang's team on scientific and technological cooperation. These experts will also introduce new varieties suitable for Zhijiang and provide new technologies, including green pest control and integration of water and fertilizer.
By 2025, the output of the demonstration garden is expected to reach more than 2,500 kilograms per mu, with an output value of more than 15,000 yuan per mu.
