Mayang Kiwifruit

Mayang Kiwifruit

　　Mayang Kiwifruit

　　Most Mayang kiwifruit are wild, climbing fruit trees, commonly known as vine berries. They are primarily grown in mountainous areas such as Xihuang Mountain, Xiong Mountain, Badou Mountain, and Leidapo, with the highest yield and best quality found around Xihuang Mountain. The county has a total of 7,000 mu of kiwifruit, over 5,000 mu of which are wild resources, producing more than 100 tons annually—all grown at elevations above 500 meters. Cultivation rarely uses chemical fertilizers or pesticides, making it a purely natural, green fruit. Most varieties are native wild types, with small amounts of cultivated varieties such as Milaoyou No. 1 and No. 2, as well as Cuiyu and Fengyue. The fruit is categorized into three types based on fuzz: soft-haired, hard-haired, and hairless. Shapes vary from cylindrical, oval, kidney-shaped, to spherical. Flesh colors include green, light green, light yellow, yellow flesh with purple core, and green flesh with yellow core. The taste ranges from richly sweet to sweet and tangy, with plenty of juice and seeds, strong aroma, tender texture, and no astringency. Generally, the fruit needs to soften before eating. It can be stored at room temperature around 25°C for 20–30 days. The quality is excellent—wild varieties typically weigh 70–90 grams per fruit, with some reaching up to 120 grams. Soluble solids content is 14.0–15.8, vitamin C content is 930–1580 mg/g, and they are rich in trace elements such as iron, phosphorus, calcium, and selenium. Highly marketable and nutritious, they are hailed as a treasure among fruits. They can be eaten fresh or processed into canned goods, juices, purees, and fruit wines.

　　Mayang kiwifruit generally sprouts in mid-to-late March, blooms by the end of April, and is available on the market in mid-to-late September. Wild plants are robust, highly resistant, drought-tolerant, relatively high-yielding and stable. Higher altitudes and greater temperature variations help improve quality. Regular consumption can nourish the brain and body, stimulate appetite and benefit the spleen, moisten the lungs and clear heat, and offer anti-cancer and vitality-enhancing benefits.

　　Among wild kiwifruit, there are precious individual plants weighing 80–120 grams per fruit, which have been identified by the province as superior strains. These can be developed for cultivation. In 2003, the county agriculture bureau, in collaboration with Longping Hi-Tech, planned to develop a contiguous 1,000-mu area of high-quality fresh-eating kiwifruit in the Xihuang Mountain Forest Farm, with the potential to establish scaled commercial production.