Smart technology and higher standards lead to improved navel orange industry
2025-02-16 19:02:00
By Ma Yuanchen.
Yichang’s Zigui County has upgraded its navel orange industry through adopting higher standards and implementing new smart technologies, turning a local specialty into a major driver for economic growth.
Due to previously relying on part-time workers and subjective judgement, the quality of navel oranges has not always been consistent. Even though Zigui has been China’s main production area of navel oranges for a long time, some companies found as many as 30 percent of the oranges they received from local orchards were below standards. With the rise of e-commerce, more orders are coming from out-of-town and in larger volumes. Substandard oranges could harm the reputation of Zigui if negative comments are posted online.
To fix this issue, Zigui County established a set of strict packaging standards, including the Zigui Navel Orange Packaging Standard and Zigui Navel Orange Identification Standards. Some companies have also trained collectors with a standard operating procedure. These initiatives have ensured clear labels, universal packaging, and consistent quality, effectively protecting the Zigui navel orange brand.
Zigui County’s Fruit and Tea Center has promoted the adoption of an intelligent sorting facility, where navel oranges are scanned and graded based on sugar content, size, and other quality indicators. This transformation has increased local oranges’ competitiveness in the market. Zheng Yuqin, the owner of a local orange company, has installed an automated sorting line at her factory, boosting sales to more than 100 million yuan (US$13.94 million) in 2024.
<caption>The scene of an orange sorting and packaging factory.
The center has led local businesses to build more than 100 smart sorting lines, improving the entire production process. These efforts have expanded the navel orange planting area to 400,000 mu (267 hectare), with an annual output of over 1 million tons and an overall revenue of nearly 20 billion yuan. The navel orange industry now supports the livelihoods of roughly 260,000 people, becoming a true symbol of prosperity in Zigui.
Yichang’s Zigui County has upgraded its navel orange industry through adopting higher standards and implementing new smart technologies, turning a local specialty into a major driver for economic growth.
Due to previously relying on part-time workers and subjective judgement, the quality of navel oranges has not always been consistent. Even though Zigui has been China’s main production area of navel oranges for a long time, some companies found as many as 30 percent of the oranges they received from local orchards were below standards. With the rise of e-commerce, more orders are coming from out-of-town and in larger volumes. Substandard oranges could harm the reputation of Zigui if negative comments are posted online.
To fix this issue, Zigui County established a set of strict packaging standards, including the Zigui Navel Orange Packaging Standard and Zigui Navel Orange Identification Standards. Some companies have also trained collectors with a standard operating procedure. These initiatives have ensured clear labels, universal packaging, and consistent quality, effectively protecting the Zigui navel orange brand.
Zigui County’s Fruit and Tea Center has promoted the adoption of an intelligent sorting facility, where navel oranges are scanned and graded based on sugar content, size, and other quality indicators. This transformation has increased local oranges’ competitiveness in the market. Zheng Yuqin, the owner of a local orange company, has installed an automated sorting line at her factory, boosting sales to more than 100 million yuan (US$13.94 million) in 2024.
<caption>The scene of an orange sorting and packaging factory.The center has led local businesses to build more than 100 smart sorting lines, improving the entire production process. These efforts have expanded the navel orange planting area to 400,000 mu (267 hectare), with an annual output of over 1 million tons and an overall revenue of nearly 20 billion yuan. The navel orange industry now supports the livelihoods of roughly 260,000 people, becoming a true symbol of prosperity in Zigui.
<caption>An automated sorting line is categorizing navel oranges based on quality.
