Pomelos line farmers’ pockets in Quanshui Village
2023-12-12 17:12:06
By Ma Yuhan, Yichang International Communication Studio
Quanshui pomelos are in season. Huang Changlin, a 53-year-old villager who has cultivated pomelos for nearly 30 years, has seen this modest fruit become a key source of revenue for local farmers.
Despite its name – “quan shui” means “spring water” – Quanshui village was once poverty-stricken. While villagers had been growing pomelos for years, indifferent quality and various market barriers meant they couldn't get a decent return for their efforts.
Then, in 1995, Min Zegui, the Party secretary of Quanshui Village, went to Fujian Province to inspect different pomelo species. Once he got home, he started breeding a new variety called "Quanshui pomelo."
Quanshui pomelos are tender and juicy, their taste ranging from sweet to moderately sour, and have a uniquely smooth and thin rind.
Huang was among the first to start growing Quanshui pomelos. Soon after, the Quanshui Pomelo Professional Cooperative was established and the quantity of Quanshui pomelos rose. However, sales volume and prices remained low.
Again villagers came up with a bright idea. At the end of November 2015, the first "Quanshui Pomelo Festival" was held – and this gave brand recognition a fillip.
The event attracted nearly 1,000 tourists, who purchased over 150,000 kilograms of pomelos. Since then, the festival has become an annual tradition, boosting villagers’ income.
In 2023, the pomelo cultivation area in Quanshui Village reached 100 hectares, with production exceeding 3 million kilograms.
Quanshui pomelos are now being sold nationwide, and the average annual income for villagers has increased from around 3,000 yuan (US$420) in 2015 to 19,000 yuan (US$2650) at present.
Quanshui pomelos are in season. Huang Changlin, a 53-year-old villager who has cultivated pomelos for nearly 30 years, has seen this modest fruit become a key source of revenue for local farmers.
Despite its name – “quan shui” means “spring water” – Quanshui village was once poverty-stricken. While villagers had been growing pomelos for years, indifferent quality and various market barriers meant they couldn't get a decent return for their efforts.
Then, in 1995, Min Zegui, the Party secretary of Quanshui Village, went to Fujian Province to inspect different pomelo species. Once he got home, he started breeding a new variety called "Quanshui pomelo."
Quanshui pomelos are tender and juicy, their taste ranging from sweet to moderately sour, and have a uniquely smooth and thin rind.
Huang was among the first to start growing Quanshui pomelos. Soon after, the Quanshui Pomelo Professional Cooperative was established and the quantity of Quanshui pomelos rose. However, sales volume and prices remained low.
Again villagers came up with a bright idea. At the end of November 2015, the first "Quanshui Pomelo Festival" was held – and this gave brand recognition a fillip.
The event attracted nearly 1,000 tourists, who purchased over 150,000 kilograms of pomelos. Since then, the festival has become an annual tradition, boosting villagers’ income.
In 2023, the pomelo cultivation area in Quanshui Village reached 100 hectares, with production exceeding 3 million kilograms.
Quanshui pomelos are now being sold nationwide, and the average annual income for villagers has increased from around 3,000 yuan (US$420) in 2015 to 19,000 yuan (US$2650) at present.
