Wengyuan Fruit Sugarcane

Wengyuan Fruit Sugarcane

　　Fruit sugarcane, as the name suggests, is a type of sugarcane meant for consumption as fruit. It is a variety of sugarcane intended to be eaten fresh. In China, fruit sugarcane is mainly divided into two types based on skin color: yellow-skinned fruit sugarcane and black-skinned fruit sugarcane. Wengyuan County in Guangdong Province is a major cultivation area for black-skinned sugarcane in China. Since the 1980s, there has been a tradition of growing fruit sugarcane here. In 1987, a sugar factory was established in Wengyuan County, and the cultivation of Wengyuan fruit sugarcane flourished from then on. By 2010, the planting area had reached over 30,000 mu, with an average yield of about 10 tons per mu. Currently, Wengyuan fruit sugarcane is mainly cultivated in seven administrative regions within Wengyuan County: Wengcheng Town, Xinjiang Town, Zhoubei Town, Guandu Town, Longxian Town, Bazi Town, and Jiangwei Town.

　　Wengyuan fruit sugarcane is juicy, sweet, crisp, and tender, offering a refreshing taste. The stalks are long and thick with evenly spaced joints, reaching lengths of 2.5–2.8 meters and weighing around 5–8 jin (2.5–4 kg) each, making it a high-quality variety. The cane juice contains over 20 types of amino acids and various vitamins (including Vitamin B1, B2, B6, and Vitamin C). With low fiber content and rich nutrition, it serves to quench thirst, relieve hunger, reduce fatigue, and offers cooling and detoxifying effects.

　　Because of its long, upward-jointed structure, fruit sugarcane symbolizes a life that is sweet and prosperous, and a career that advances step by step. As such, it has become one of the essential fruits purchased by every household before the Spring Festival each year.

　　 Currently, there are three main enterprises involved in the production of Wengyuan fruit sugarcane: Wengcheng Shunfa Fruit Sugarcane Professional Cooperative in Wengyuan County, Shuangtang Fruit Sugarcane Farmers’ Professional Cooperative in Wengyuan County, and Zhoubei Tongyi Fruit Sugarcane Professional Cooperative in Wengyuan County. Among them, Zhoubei Tongyi Fruit Sugarcane Professional Cooperative in Wengyuan County was established in 2010 and primarily deals in virus-free fruit sugarcane seedlings as well as consignment sales and purchases of fruit sugarcane. Shuangtang Fruit Sugarcane Farmers’ Professional Cooperative in Wengyuan County cultivates over 1,400 mu of fruit sugarcane.