Nansheng Sugar Orange

Nansheng Sugar Orange

Nansheng Sugar Orange is a geographical indication protected product.

　　Experts believe that Nansheng Town is a typical mountainous area, surrounded by hills. Under the unique geographical location and climatic conditions, the Gonggan oranges grow to be beautifully shaped, with crisp and juicy flesh, sweet and fragrant honey-like flavor, making them top-quality among citrus fruits—hailed as the “No. 1 Orange in Guangdong.” The Nansheng Sugar Orange is flat-round in shape, with tumor-like bumps on the top, a slightly indented stem end, an orange-yellow hue, thin peel that is easy to remove. The fruit shape index is 0.78, single fruit weight ranges from 62-86 grams, the edible rate is 71%, with 11% soluble solids content, and per 100 milliliters it contains 10.55 grams of total sugar and 0.35 grams of fruit acid. The flesh is crisp, juicy, easy to separate, and has a sweet taste that leaves a refreshing and lingering aftertaste. This product is famous both at home and abroad—in the 1960s and 1970s, it was sold in large quantities to Southeast Asia and Hong Kong and Macau regions.

The Sugar Orange tree has a medium canopy, well-developed roots, a round-headed shape, fine and dense branches that are slightly upright, strong shoot growth ability, and elliptical leaves in deep green. It flowers in late March, begins to sweeten in late September, and is harvested from late October to early November. In terms of cultivation techniques, the requirements are not strict, it has wide adaptability and certain stress resistance, making it one of the stable and high-yield citrus varieties. Generally, it starts bearing fruit in three years, and enters peak production after five years. Single-tree yield ranges from 100–150 jin (50–75 kg), with high-yield trees reaching 350–400 jin (175–200 kg), and the fruit stores well. Known as the “Famous Orange of Guangdong.” It is reported that apart from being sold to sixteen domestic provinces (cities) including Shanghai, Tianjin, Harbin, and Xinjiang, as well as Hong Kong and Macau, Nansheng citrus is also exported in batches to countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Russia. Data shows that the town’s mountainous development strategy of “living off the mountains” has set the goal of “becoming the largest provincial-level township producer of sand sugar oranges.” Local citrus planting has been recognized by the Guangdong Provincial Government as a “One Township, One Product” project, and has successively won honors such as “Guangdong’s First Professional Citrus Town” and “Guangdong Healthy Agricultural Science and Technology Demonstration Base.” In 2006, the Nansheng-branded Gonggan and Sugar Oranges were rated among Guangdong Province’s “Top Ten Quality Brands in the Fruit Industry Most Trusted by Consumers.”

　　On a bright winter day, with the fragrance of citrus in the air, Nansheng Town—the professional citrus town of Guangdong Province—is covered in lush greenery, with golden oranges hanging from the branches. Citrus purchasing stations can be seen everywhere along the roadsides, with carts full of golden oranges being transported out. The hardworking people of Nansheng have once again welcomed a bountiful citrus harvest year. Along with the joy of the harvest, Nansheng Town is brewing a new wave of development for its local economy.

　　Nansheng Town is located in the southern part of Yun’an County, at the northern foot of the Yunwu Mountains, covering an area of 136 square kilometers with a total population of 33,000. Renowned throughout the province for its abundant citrus production, it has been recognized by Guangdong Province as a “One Township, One Product” project area, a professional citrus town, and a tourism specialty town. Currently, the town has developed a “three-high” agriculture model led by the citrus industry. Over 90% of local farming households grow citrus, with a total planted area of 103,000 mu (approximately 6,867 hectares), and a fruiting area of over 70,000 mu (approximately 4,667 hectares) in 2007, yielding more than 85,000 tons with an output value of 340 million yuan. The per capita output value from citrus alone is nearly 10,000 yuan, truly earning its title as the “Hometown of Citrus.” The development of the citrus industry has brought prosperity to farmers across the town. Nowadays, most households live in “citrus houses,” fixed-line telephones and cable TV are widespread, while mobile phones, computers, and various modern household appliances have entered homes. There are even over 1,000 cars in the town—about one car for every 30 people—greatly improving the living standards of villagers.

　　Since the 1980s, the town’s Party committee and government have been committed to optimizing and strengthening the citrus industry, striving to expand the scale and enhance the brand of Nansheng citrus. Especially in the last two terms, with the strategic vision and ambition of “building Nansheng into the largest township-level Sand Sugar Orange production base in the province,” they have adhered to the development principles of “large-scale development, industrialized management, standardized production, branded marketing, and socialized services,” focusing on promoting the healthy and rapid growth of the citrus industry by expanding scale and increasing technological content.

　　In recent years, based on local realities and aimed at boosting the township economy, the town has continuously improved the technological content and product quality of citrus. With active efforts to secure technical support from various levels of science and technology institutions, research institutes, and universities, it has established a virus-free citrus seedling base. Through standardized production and regulated management demonstration zones, it has vigorously promoted standardized practices, widely applied biological control technologies such as “using mites to control mites” and electronic insecticidal lamps, and accelerated the construction of healthy agricultural demonstration bases. From seed selection and seedling cultivation, standardized production, industrialized management, pollution-free practices, to preservation technology promotion, the town has continuously strengthened the citrus industry. The Dajian Village Committee, known as the birthplace of Sand Sugar Orange cultivation in Yunfu City, under the active guidance, reasonable support of the local Party committee and government, and close cooperation of village cadres, has been developed into the Nansheng Town Citrus Eco-Tourism Garden, Healthy Agricultural Science and Technology Demonstration Base, and Citrus Planting Demonstration Site in Yun’an County. By using a pilot model to drive broader impact, it has encouraged the adoption and implementation of healthy agricultural methods and supporting new technologies across the town and neighboring citrus bases, achieving citrus production that meets healthy standards, with safety indicators reaching national or industry standards. This has helped form market-competitive branded products, increased fruit farmers’ income, enriched rural areas, and ensured consumer confidence in their purchases. According to statistics, in 2007, the village planted 5,200 mu (approximately 347 hectares) of citrus, with 3,600 mu (approximately 240 hectares) in production, yielding 5,500 tons of citrus and generating 24 million yuan in output value, with a per capita income of 23,000 yuan from citrus alone—making it the village committee with the highest per capita income in Yun’an County.

　　The geographical indication protection scope of Nansheng Sugar Orange covers the gentle sloping land within the current administrative region of Yun’an County, Guangdong Province.