Ningguo Chestnuts

Ningguo Chestnuts

　　 Ningguo chestnuts are a specialty of Ningguo City, Xuancheng, Anhui Province. They are known for their high yield, early availability, good storability, and delicious flavor. Large chestnuts weigh about 40 per kilogram.

　　 Ningguo features beautiful mountains and clear waters, with enchanting scenery. The Tianmu Mountains stretch along its southeastern edge, while the Huangshan Mountain range extends westward into the area, creating a topography that is higher in the south and lower in the north, with undulating mountain ridges.

　　 Ningguo is rich in chestnut resources, with a wide variety of species. There are over 20 locally unique varieties, among which Tezao, Ruanci Zao, Erxin Zao, and Huanglipu have been listed as superior varieties in Anhui Province. These share common traits such as high yield, early market availability, good storability, and delicious taste. Large chestnuts weigh about 40 per kilogram. The long-renowned Sanyuan Dahongpao chestnuts are especially notable for being large, red, and glossy, and they can be sliced for cooking, making them a delicacy at the table. Ningguo chestnuts are grown over a wide area; eight towns—Zhongxi, Shikou, Qiaotou, Pingxing, Ningdun, Honglong, Shiqiao, and Meilin—each have over 10,000 mu of chestnut orchards. The quality of Ningguo chestnuts is excellent, their market season is long, they sell well, and local growers are highly motivated to develop the industry.

　　 Meilin Town is the main chestnut-producing area in our city, with a total planting area of 24,500 mu, including 18,000 mu in full production. The annual output is 5,000 tons. According to surveys, the output value in 2010 was 36 million yuan, or 1,600 yuan per capita. With continuous market expansion, chestnut purchase prices have risen steadily in recent years—from an average of 2.3 yuan per jin in 2008 to a stable 3.6 yuan per jin this year, with an average annual increase