Assistance turns county into top plum producer

Payzawat county in Kashgar prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, has become China's largest plum producer, thanks in part to assistance from South China's Guangdong province.

"The county boasts 38,000 hectares of plum orchards, accounting for about half of China's total," said Wu Congying, head of Guangdong's assistance work team, who now works as the deputy secretary of the county Party committee.

The county's annual plum production makes up 70 percent of the country's total, according to the county's data.

Plum cultivation in Payzawat has a long history, but was previously unstructured and less profitable. Preserving fresh plums was also once a major challenge for local farmers.

In recent years, assistance programs from Guangdong have helped transform the industry by integrating research, education and production, leading to the establishment of a modern plum industrial park.

To support the growth of the local plum industry, eight research teams have been set up in the park, focusing on the key challenges such as product development and pest control.

Meanwhile, a countywide cold chain logistics system has been established to improve storage and distribution.

"The abundant sunlight, along with trace elements like calcium, potassium and selenium in land and water, creates an ideal environment for plum cultivation," said Dang Yu, the Party secretary of the development service center of Payzawat's modern agricultural industrial park, where the plum park is based.

"The plums are rich in anthocyanins and vitamins, offering antioxidant and digestive benefits, making them highly popular among consumers," said Dang.

The quality plums have attracted 25 enterprises to produce 22 types of products, including juice, dried fruit, wine and jam.

Currently, 70 percent of Payzawat's plums are sold fresh, while the remaining are processed into juices, jams and other goods.

Today, the plum industry in the county has evolved from simple plantation into a full-fledged industrial chain covering planting, harvesting, sorting, packaging, processing, cold storage and sales. It has created jobs for more than 150,000 people.

"The plum harvest season lasts nearly two months, during which over 300 farmers work daily at our company, earning more than 200 yuan ($28) per day," said Guo Haijun, head of Kashgar Pagoda Anda Smart Agriculture Company.

Last year, the company purchased 3,000 metric tons of plums from local growers.

"My family planted one hectare of plum trees, and this is the first fruit-bearing year," said Elminur Ablat, a local resident. "The fresh fruit sales have already brought in an income of around 18,000 yuan this year."

With the trees reaching full productivity by the third year, Ablat expects her annual income from the orchard to exceed 80,000 yuan, based on local growers' experience.

The county aims to further expand its plum industry into a national-level modern agricultural cluster, according to the local government.