Financial thrills from the blueberry hills

Majiang county aims to establish an agricultural park for the fruit after making millions from the berry and helping farmers

Editor's Note: As the People's Republic of China prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary on Oct 1, China Daily is featuring a series of stories on the role regions have played in the country's development and where they are today.

By leveraging Guizhou's advantages of a subtropical climate and fertile soil, Majiang county in the middle of the mountainous province hopes to become a national production and commercial center for blueberries.

The county is located in a well-established fruit-growing area with a food production chain in place. It has already developed a wide range of products made from blueberries, such as juice, jam, wine, brandy, medicines and dried fruits.

Now, it wants to become home to the country's first modern agricultural park that focuses solely on blueberry planting.

Private company Guizhou Everyday Ecological Agriculture Development is a key player that produces more than 1,000 metric tons of blueberries annually.

Last year, it achieved sales revenue of more than 6 million yuan ($872,000) by selling blueberries and associated products to Beijing and Shanghai, as well as Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

This year, the company will export its "green and organic" blueberries to Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. The company has received large-scale orders and certification to become an exporter.

"Our company purchases blueberries from farmers and packs them before providing them to retailers or blueberry-processing enterprises," said Liu Minghao, president of the company. "This helps local small farmers to have access to wider sales channels."

The company hires more than 200 farmers, 15 of whom are from impoverished backgrounds, on a part-time basis. It teaches them how to plant, fertilize and prune the fruit and also how to pack it correctly for transportation.

During the busy summer picking season, they can make 7,000-8,000 yuan for three months' work.