Chengde almonds

Chengde almonds

　　Chengde's mountainous areas are abundant in almond production, ranking first in the nation. Chengde almonds are plump with thick, delicate kernels, and come in both sweet and bitter varieties. Sweet almonds can be used as ingredients in high-end pastries and candies, while bitter almonds are used in traditional medicine. Processed almonds can be made into almond milk, almond powder, almond tofu, pickles, canned goods, and more; almond tea is also a beloved traditional snack.

　　Almonds contain 23% protein and 50–60% crude fat, as well as phosphorus, iron, calcium, potassium, and various vitamins. Medically, they help clear the heart and lungs, resolve phlegm and cough, detoxify and reduce heat. Clinical trials have shown that they are highly effective in treating conditions such as weak coughs and constipation. (Chengde)

　　Located in Chengde County, Hebei Province, the area is a nationally renowned production base for edible almonds. The province’s total forested land has preliminarily reached over 3 million mu, bringing the overall forest coverage rate to 54.89%, ranking fifth in the province. These conditions provide favorable environments for the natural growth and cultivation of edible almonds. As a key edible almond-producing region in Hebei, Chengde County, based on the industrial development strategy and production planning established by the county Party committee and government, has had its existing wild almond forests certified as pollution-free production areas by the Forestry Bureau. The bureau promotes the "Jibei Mountain Almond 10 kg Production Model," strengthens scientific management, and utilizes funds from projects like forest conservation and small watershed management to implement practices such as tree thinning, shrub cutting, pruning, hole expansion, and pest control to enhance both the yield and quality of almonds. Almonds are a traditional specialty product of the county, and their production has won awards such as the Quality Product Award at the 1999 Kunming World Expo and the title of Hebei High-Quality Branded Product.

　　　　In some towns and villages across Hebei Province, the edible almond industry serves as a pillar for poverty alleviation and prosperity. The county has vigorously carried out breeding programs for superior almond varieties, and through years of production practice, has developed the high-quality, disease-resistant "Song'er You" variety. In recent years, leveraging ecological projects such as the Grain for Green Program and desertification control, the county has continuously advanced strategic adjustments to its agricultural structure and rural economy. Relying on technological innovation, it has strongly promoted the industrialization of the edible almond sector. Currently, the county has over 500,000 mu of edible almond resource forests, with over 360,000 mu in fruit-bearing areas, producing around 2.3 million kilograms of almonds annually under normal conditions, generating an annual output value of 24.5 million yuan. In the national evaluation of "Hometowns of Famous, Special, and High-Quality Economic Forests," Chengde County was named the "Hometown of Chinese Edible Almonds" by a panel of experts from the National Forestry Administration, thanks to its abundant almond resources, high yields, and excellent quality. Strict guarding systems have been implemented in almond-producing areas to prevent grazing in almond forests. To further maximize the benefits of existing almond forests, the county has intensified the auctioning of forest rights, enforced property rights systems, and adopted models such as treatment-before-sale, sale-before-treatment, joint household management, and reverse leasing. This concentrates almond forests under larger-scale operators, facilitating unified management and protection, further improving the almond forest management responsibility system, and fostering large-scale operations and specialized production. During almond harvest seasons, villages and towns deploy dedicated patrols to prevent premature harvesting, ensuring centralized collection only when the kernels are fully mature—thus guaranteeing both the quality and yield of the almonds.