Heishui County Walnuts

Heishui County Walnuts

Heishui County Walnuts is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　    Heishui County Walnuts

　　    Luhua Forestry Work Station of Heishui County

　　    Heishui County has made the development of early-bearing walnut industry a key initiative to tackle targeted poverty alleviation and boost the income of farmers and herders. To date, the county has developed over 45,000 mu of walnut plantations, including 23,000 mu of contiguous planting and 22,000 mu of scattered planting. The county has initially formed a high-quality industry supported by the early-bearing walnut base in Weiduo Village, connected through specialized cooperatives, developing deep processing of walnut products, and cultivating a “money tree” for farmers and herders to escape poverty.

　　    First, meticulous selection and breeding of superior varieties have accelerated the propagation and promotion of improved strains. With the goal of building a “premium, distinctive, and high-quality” walnut industry, efforts began with high-quality local seedlings, focusing on the selection and expansion of native walnut varieties. Currently, a 30-mu walnut variety resource collection garden has been established in Sergu Town, collecting 21 superior varieties from home and abroad, including 3 native, 8 provincial, 8 domestic, and 2 foreign varieties. Three 120-mu local variety scion orchards for “Kelongzao,” “Thin-shelled Early,” and “Pearl Walnut” have been built, yielding 1.8 million scions annually, producing 1 million improved seedlings, and completing high-grafting on 5,000 mu, laying a solid foundation for the development of the early-bearing walnut industry.

　　    Second, the promotion of core demonstration leadership has accelerated the spread of management techniques. In line with Heishui County’s “valley economy” development plan, and based on thorough research of local climate conditions and comprehensive consideration of the “1+64” targeted poverty alleviation strategy, a 1,200-mu high-standard, regulated walnut industry core demonstration garden was established in Weiduo Village, Zhimulin Township. Supporting facilities such as production paths, fences, and irrigation systems were also completed. Using the demonstration garden as a training platform, an expert advisory team was formed to organize batches of impoverished farmers to stay and train on-site, combining theoretical lessons with hands-on demonstrations. This approach has trained over 1,200 forest farmers annually, effectively improving the overall management level of walnut cultivation across the county.

　　    Third, the cultivation of new types of business entities has driven scaled industrial growth. Leveraging the catalytic effect of government funding, five specialized cooperatives have been supported in villages such as Weiduo Village in Zhimulin Township and Dabiewo Village in Musu Township, benefiting 1,200 farming households in walnut planting. Currently, walnut cultivation has expanded to 14 townships, gradually shifting from scattered plots to strip distribution and valley concentration. The county now achieves an annual walnut output of 735 tons, with a production value of 16.47 million yuan. At the same time, Heishui County has seized the opportunities presented by the “Internet+” strategy, focusing on building online stores for local products and vigorously developing agricultural e-commerce. Early-bearing walnuts are now sold through multiple online platforms, and Heishui walnuts are steadily advancing along a path of scaled, standardized, and high-quality development.