Huizhuang Village Rose-Scented Grapes

Huizhuang Village Rose-Scented Grapes

　　Huizhuang Village Rose-Scented Grapes are a specialty of Huizhuangzhen Town, Ling County, Dezhou City, Shandong Province. Huizhuangzhen is widely known as the “Hometown of Fruits and Forests,” and the “Meixiang Brand” grapes are a distinctive calling card of the town.

　　In 1987, Ma Zhentang, the former Party branch secretary of Guozhuang Village, introduced the “Rose-Scented” grape variety from Jiaodong. It is a versatile variety suitable for fresh consumption, winemaking, and juice production. The variety features strong salt-alkali resistance, high yield, excellent quality, and sugar content as high as 20 degrees, making it well-suited to local cultivation. After decades of practical exploration, growers have mastered mature techniques for planting and managing grapes. The planting base gradually expanded from the original Guozhuang Village to nearby villages such as Xuezhuang and Nanxing. To date, the planting area has grown to 3,000 mu, and with the support of the town government, it has evolved into a comprehensive eco-tourism garden integrating sightseeing, fruit picking, and tourism.

　　In 2007, led by the town government, the Ling County Huizhuangzhen New Century Fruit Tree Planting Professional Cooperative was established, with over 320 member households joining. Collaborative relationships were formed with institutions such as Shandong Agricultural University, utilizing funding, technology, and market channels to extend the grape production process before and after harvest, forming an industrial chain. In 2009, grape planting and purchasing were carried out through contract farming, involving over 1,300 contracted households, and long-term supply agreements were established with supermarkets in Dezhou, Jinan, and multiple cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan region. In 2011, the grapes of Huizhuangzhen were registered under the “Meixiang” brand and obtained organic conversion product certification. In 2012, the Ling County Huizhuangzhen Fruit Association was established to implement a branding strategy and standardized production techniques for green fruit. Technical personnel were hired to start with cultivation and management techniques, formulating the “High-Quality Rose-Scented Grape Cultivation and Management Technical Specifications” and the “Rose-Scented Grape Numerical Management Model.” Unified fertilization, pest and disease control, and technical management practices were adopted, improving the quality of “Meixiang Brand” grapes and increasing the premium fruit rate by 10–14%.

　　In 2013, the 3,000 mu ecological sightseeing grape garden in Huizhuangzhen produced 2,500 kilograms per mu, with a total output of approximately 7.5 million kilograms, generating annual sales revenue of 46.5 million yuan and a profit of 6.75 million yuan.