Shandong's Zhanhua winter jujube a modern success story

The Zhanhua winter jujube demonstration base in Zhanhua district, Binzhou, Shandong province, has been a picture of abundance recently. Branches laden with russet-red fruit bend under their own weight, while farmers fill baskets with the ripe harvest.

This scene encapsulates the success of Zhanhua's industry-wide upgrade, strategically developed across the entire supply chain.

"The same winter jujube saplings planted elsewhere simply lack the crispness and sweetness of those from Zhanhua," said Zhang Hongpu, a veteran jujube farmer with 34 years of experience.

The Zhanhua winter jujube is recognized as a national geographical indication product. For decades, however, cultivation was a gamble with nature.

"We used to rely entirely on the weather. A good year meant a decent harvest, but if typhoons or frost hit, a year's hard work was lost," said Wang Chunjun, from Xiawa town, who has been a jujube farmer for the last 28 years.

Today, his orchard tells a different story. Traditional open-field planting has been replaced by modern greenhouses. Integrated water and fertilizer systems, intelligent temperature control, and automated pest monitoring are now standard.

"These 'sci-tech helpers' not only save labor but also stabilize the quality and yield," said Wang.

In recent years, Zhanhua district has significantly increased technological investment in winter jujube cultivation, enhancing quality through variety improvement, field management and facility-based planting models. More than 10 high-quality varieties have been developed, providing farmers with rich germplasm resources.

The district has established an intelligent management platform for the winter jujube industry. This system achieves precise and standardized management across 6,400 hectares of jujube orchards, covering all nine major planting townships.

The industry's growth extends beyond fresh fruit.

"Besides fresh winter jujubes, we have developed more than 10 different products, including jujube bud tea, jujube honey, jujube wine, freeze-dried crispy jujubes and jujube wood carvings," said a staff member of the Zhanhua Winter Jujube Development Exhibition Hall.

"The upgrade of the Zhanhua winter jujube industry represents not only a breakthrough in traditional agriculture but also an exploration of pathways for rural vitalization," said Chen Yujuan, director of Zhanhua district.

"We will further increase technological investment, extend the industrial chain and enhance brand value to let this sweetness delight people across all seasons and throughout the nation."