Fenghua Strawberries

Fenghua Strawberries

　　　Our city is located along the eastern coast of Zhejiang, enjoying a warm and humid climate year-round with distinct seasons and abundant rainfall. In particular, the alluvial plains formed by the watersheds of the Xianjiang, Dongjiang, and Xianjiang rivers originating from the Tiantai and Siming mountain ranges cover over 100,000 acres of sandy soil, which is highly conducive to the high-yield and premium-quality cultivation of strawberries and other cash crops.

　　In 1990, the provincial academy of agricultural sciences promoted greenhouse strawberry cultivation techniques to the public after five years of research. In 1992, Ying Yongcheng, a young farmer from Mujiling Village in Shangtian Town, saw an article in the Zhejiang "Rural Information Newspaper" stating that “growing greenhouse strawberries yields high economic returns.” He then paid his own way to study at the provincial academy of agricultural sciences and introduced the high-yield and quality greenhouse strawberry variety Fengxiang. He was the first to invest 5,000 yuan to build two plastic greenhouses on his one-acre contracted land. After a season of careful cultivation and management, the yield reached 22,000 yuan per acre, with a net income of 17,000 yuan. Inspired by Ying Yongcheng’s success with greenhouse strawberries, the Shangtian Town Party Committee, government, and surrounding farmers recognized that greenhouse strawberry cultivation was not only suitable for the local agro-ecological conditions but also an excellent way to increase income. With strong promotional guidance from the town government and relevant departments, low-interest loans to help solve farmers' funding difficulties, expert-led technical training and advisory services, and the organized supply of key farm materials such as greenhouse films, ground films, film clips, and specialized pesticides—all of which were in high demand at the time—along with changes in external factors such as increased consumer demand from urban residents, the area under greenhouse cultivation in the Shangtian strawberry base increased rapidly year by year. By the end of 1998, the strawberry planting area had reached 2,500 acres, including 1,620 acres of greenhouse strawberries, 880 acres of open-field strawberries, generating an annual output value of 26.4 million yuan and annual income of 14.4 million yuan.

　　The rise of strawberry production, especially greenhouse strawberries, has not only improved the quality and yield of strawberries but also significantly advanced the harvest season, expanded market opportunities, and increased commercialization rates and economic benefits. Driven by the demonstration effect of strawberry production in Shangtian Town, in recent years, strawberry cultivation areas in other towns such as Jiangkou, Xiaowangmiao, and Daqiao, as well as in seed farms in our city, have also expanded. By the end of 1998, the city’s total strawberry cultivation area reached about 3,500 acres, including 2,000 acres of greenhouse strawberries, 1,500 acres of open-field strawberries.

　　Strawberry cultivation has a relatively short history in China but has developed rapidly across the country in recent years as an emerging fruit. According to incomplete statistics from January this year, 11 major producing provinces and cities in China planted strawberries on 800,000 acres, of which 400,000 acres were under greenhouse cultivation. The development is faster in northern regions than in southern ones. This province’s strawberry cultivation area this year is about 50,000 acres, with 35,000 acres under greenhouse cultivation, averaging 7,000 yuan per acre in output value.

　　Given our city’s natural conditions, there are over 100,000 acres of sandy soil suitable for strawberry cultivation, with favorable climate and ecological environments. Based on our geographic location, the completion of the Hangyong and Shanghai-Hangzhou expressways and the ongoing construction of the coastal corridor “Tongsan” expressway have significantly improved transportation efficiency, greatly reducing travel time and spatial distances. Building on our existing foundation, strawberry cultivation centered in Shangtian Town has a long history and has accumulated considerable experience. At the January “Shangtian Premium Strawberry Tasting and Development Seminar,” nationally renowned strawberry experts and associate researchers from the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhu Zhenlin and Zeng Fuchu, commented that “Shangtian strawberries are of the highest quality nationwide.” By fully leveraging these three major advantages—natural conditions, geographic location, and established foundations—strawberries will become another leading agricultural and sideline product for our city, following Fenghua peaches and taro.

　　In line with the requirements of modern agricultural development, strawberry production will focus on Shangtian as the primary region, with secondary emphasis on Daqiao (including the municipal seed farm), Jiangkou, and Xiaowangmiao, forming a commodity production base exceeding 10,000 acres and high-quality, high-yield demonstration bases of over 1,000 acres. The strategy will involve simultaneous development of greenhouse and open-field cultivation, with equal emphasis on fresh consumption and processing. This will enable our city’s strawberry production to achieve initial scale advantages and reach the desired market goals of “having more when others have less, having what others lack, and offering better quality when others offer similar products.”