Chongyi Wild Jujube

Chongyi Wild Jujube

　　Chongyi County in Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, along with a pleasant climate. In mountainous areas between 400–600 meters above sea level, the summer heat is significantly reduced, and the combination of climatic factors is well balanced. Although rainfall is lower and sunlight slightly more abundant compared to higher altitudes, these conditions still meet the normal needs of wild jujube trees. As a result, the county’s wild jujube forests have been expanding at a rate of 5,000 mu per year. In addition, the county has established over 1,000 mu of wild jujube seed collection bases and more than 50 mu of grafted seedling cultivation bases. Chongyi County produces wild jujube cakes that consume 6,000 tons of fresh wild jujubes annually. The mountainous areas around 400–600 meters in Chongyi have a climatic advantage for growing wild jujube trees. The resulting wild jujube cakes, known for their sweet-and-sour flavor and chewy texture, have gained popularity among consumers, and the products are exported to countries and regions such as the United States, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

　　　　Recognized by the National Forestry Administration, Chongyi County has artificially cultivated 50,000 mu of wild jujube, processes 7,000 tons of fresh wild jujube fruits annually, provides 1,000 job opportunities for society, and increases the income of forest farmers by over 500 yuan. As a result, in December 2004, it officially earned the title of “Hometown of Chinese Wild Jujube.” This is another national-level designation for the county following its 1996 title of “Hometown of Chinese Bamboo.” The recognition has strongly boosted Chongyi County’s efforts to promote the development of green food processing industries.

　　　　Since the 1980s, Chongyi County has placed great emphasis on the protection of natural wild jujube trees, listing them as a protected tree species at the county level with a strict ban on logging. According to the forest resource survey during the Tenth Five-Year Plan period, the county’s wild jujube distribution covers an area of 200,000 mu, including 150,000 mu of natural distribution and 50,000 mu of artificial cultivation. By accelerating the construction of artificial wild jujube bases and adopting a cooperative development model of “company + cooperative + forest farmers,” the county has completed the development of a series of wild jujube products, including wild jujube cakes, wild jujube juice, wild jujube fruit tea, and wild jujube vinegar. The wild jujube industry in Chongyi County, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, has entered a new production and sales phase.