Pearl Fragrant Plum

Pearl Fragrant Plum

　　Yueli Town in Nandan County, Hechi City, Guangxi, is located 90 kilometers northwest of Hechi City and is quite close to Mawei and Libo Town in Guizhou Province. The town covers a total land area of 305.1 square kilometers, with 1,462 hectares of arable land. It administers 9 villages and 15 hamlets, comprising 216 villager groups, and has a population of 23,260, most of whom are engaged in agriculture. The local Party committee and government have developed agricultural resources according to local conditions, achieving a high level of development in crop-based economy, which has become a major highlight. During the implementation of agricultural industrial restructuring, they actively guided residents to grow Pearl Fragrant Plums. Currently, the area under Pearl Plum cultivation exceeds 150 hectares, with 80 hectares bearing fruit. In 2009, the town sold 600,000 kilograms of Pearl Fragrant Plums, generating sales revenue of 3 million yuan. This has made the Pearl Fragrant Plum a “money tree” that helps locals escape poverty and achieve prosperity.

　　The Pearl Fragrant Plum is a locally renowned and high-quality fruit. Previously grown only sporadically, it has gradually moved toward large-scale production under government guidance. The plum is highly adaptable and is mostly planted on hillsides and sloped land, thus not competing with grain crops for arable land. When ripe, its fruits display an attractive interplay of red and green hues and are crystal clear, truly beautiful. Due to the large diurnal temperature variation in the growing region, nutrient accumulation is enhanced, resulting in superior quality. The taste is pleasantly sweet and sour, crisp and refreshing. The plums are small—just the right size to pop one in your mouth. As a regional specialty, large-scale cultivation has not yet reached full production, so current supply falls short of demand. Merchants come specifically to purchase the fruit, and many customers visit the orchards to pick the plums themselves, enjoying both tourism and the pleasure of harvesting. This allows fruit farmers to sell out their entire yield without leaving home. Local farmers are delighted to have found such a new path to prosperity.