Yangshan Honey Peach offers farmers a sweet life

Despite the impact of a historic 42-day "plum rain" season, Wuxi's iconic fruit Yangshan Honey Peach has continued its high sales this year, generating satisfactory incomes for farmers due to the government's efforts in providing technical support and brand protection.

To reduce losses caused by heavy precipitation, the Yangshan town government introduced a number of guidelines to safeguard the growing and sales of peaches.

"The e-commerce and influencer marketing provided more sales channels for farmers," said Shen Fei, deputy head of the Yangshan town rural and agriculture department. "The government also helped farmers tap into the peach market in Singapore and Canada this year, and the overseas market sales volume can reach 8 million yuan ($1.14 million)."

Shen added that the local association for peach farmers, which was established in 1998, also plays an important role in improving peach cultivation and boosting sales.

"It has created a unified brand for Yangshan peach, and has been enhancing its efforts to protect it. This year, shops for fake Yangshan peach on e-commerce platforms have been cracked down on, which effectively safeguarded the interests of farmers in Yangshan."

With the increasing popularity of Yangshan peach and sufficient government support, the lives of farmers significantly improved.

Liu Xiaoqin, a farmer in Yangshan, gave a thumbs-up to government efforts in technical support and new peach breed introduction, which helped her expand her plantation from 2 mu (0.33 acre) 20 years ago to more than 100 mu today.

Wu Xiaobo, a farmer who was selected to be "peach queen" this year due to the good quality and large size of peaches in her orchard, said that the comprehensive government guidance considerably benefited new farmers like her that did not have any prior experience in planting.

"Moreover, the government enhanced brand promotion and protection measures, which continued to bolster the image of Yangshan. Farmers like me, when we don't have peaches to sell, can explore peach-related industries like cultural and art products, as well as homestay businesses to gain extra income," she said.

"We are optimistic about the 'honey peach economy' and our lives are now as sweet as Yangshan peach," she added.

Li Qidi contributed to this story.