Changyang wrinkled-skinned papaya

Changyang wrinkled-skinned papaya

　　Changyang wrinkled-skinned papaya is a specialty of Changyang County, Yichang City, Hubei Province. Known for its distinctive traits of "few seeds, vibrant color, and wrinkled skin," along with superior quality.

　　The papaya belongs to the Rosaceae family and is the fruit of the plant Chaenomeles speciosa. "Wrinkled-skinned papaya" is the product formed after processing its fruit. The renowned "Ziqiu wrinkled-skinned papaya" from the Changyang Tujia Autonomous County has a long planting history and was widely celebrated as early as the Qing Dynasty. The "Chinese Ziqiu papaya" recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia refers to Changyang’s "Ziqiu wrinkled-skinned papaya." Due to the region's isolated transportation in the past, the papayas had to be carried manually to the Ziqiu dock on the Qingjiang River for water transport to other parts of China as well as countries in Southeast Asia and Africa. Hence, it earned the name "Ziqiu wrinkled-skinned papaya."

　　Ziqiu wrinkled-skinned papaya is hailed as a premium medicinal papaya and was included in the 2012 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. In recent years, Changyang has prioritized the development of medicinal papaya as a key measure to adjust the rural industrial structure, with joint efforts from the county’s forestry and science & technology departments to promote the establishment of demonstration bases. Local farmers have received strong support through policies such as the Grain for Green Program, science & technology poverty alleviation projects, and the National Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program for traditional Chinese medicinal materials. Currently, the county has around 60,000 mu of papaya cultivation, with an annual yield exceeding 2,000 tons.

　　 "Ziqiu wrinkled-skinned papaya" is famed for its traits of "few seeds, vibrant color, and wrinkled skin," along with superior quality, and offers unique medicinal value and health benefits. Its nutritional value is comparable to that of kiwifruit, and there is a folk saying: "An apricot brings one benefit, a pear two, but a papaya a hundred." It holds distinctive medicinal properties and is a traditionally prized Chinese medicinal herb. Many medical texts, including the Compendium of Materia Medica, document "Ziqiu wrinkled-skinned papaya." Laboratory analysis shows that it contains abundant organic acids, vitamins, and various proteolytic enzymes. It functions to soothe the liver and tendons, harmonize the kidneys and resolve dampness, reduce inflammation and inhibit bacteria, and lower blood lipids. It also exhibits strong inhibitory effects on pathogens such as typhoid and dysentery bacilli, Staphylococcus aureus, and cancer cells. "Ziqiu wrinkled-skinned papaya" is widely used in the clinical formulation of various traditional Chinese patent medicines, such as Miaojipills, Papaya Pills, Fengluotong Tablets, Bone Spur Pain Relief Liquid, and Shenrong Papaya Wine, as well as in cosmetic and personal care products like papaya skincare items, papaya soap, facial cleansers, and shower gels. The papaya is also an excellent raw material for producing a range of health foods, including papaya canned goods, purees, and beverages. In recent years, with the implementation of the national "Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Action Plan" and China’s accession to the World Trade Organization, "Ziqiu wrinkled-skinned papaya" has encountered unprecedented development opportunities and promising market prospects. Changyang has vigorously developed papaya as a featured agricultural project. By the end of 2002, focusing on Langping Town, the total planting area of "Ziqiu wrinkled-skinned papaya" reached 20,000 mu, including 7,000 mu of established orchards and 13,000 mu of newly developed ones. In 2002, the fresh papaya yield was 2,500 tons, dried product yield 620 tons, with a total output value of 4.2 million yuan. It is projected that by 2006, the fresh fruit yield will reach 8,400 tons and dried product yield 2,100 tons.

　　In March 2002, four organizations including the Hubei Provincial Department of Science and Technology jointly designated Langping Town as the "Hubei Provincial GAP Demonstration Base for Authentic Chinese Medicinal Materials." With the introduction of GAP regulations, the base construction will receive policy protection. In the development of "Ziqiu wrinkled-skinned papaya," the region is committed to an industrialized approach. Cooperation agreements such as the "Hubei Authentic Chinese Medicinal Materials GAP Demonstration Base Joint Development Letter of Intent" have been signed with research institutions and pharmaceutical groups including Jiangxi Huiren Group, Sanjiu Group, and Wuhan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The Wuhan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine provides technical guidance, while Jiangxi Huiren Group and Sanjiu Group use the Changyang papaya base as a raw material supply source, ensuring sales opportunities for the development of the papaya industry.