Yanbian Mulberries

Yanbian Mulberries

Yanbian Mulberries are a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Yanbian County is located in the southwestern corner of Sichuan Province and is a multi-ethnic county inhabited by nineteen ethnic groups including Han, Yi, Miao, Hui, Dai, and Naxi. It is known as "eight parts farmland, one part water, and ninety-one parts forest and grassland slopes." The cultivation of mulberry trees in Yanbian has a long history. In the 4th century AD, the "Southern Silk Road" passed through Liangshan and Panzhihua, bringing mulberry tree seeds, which influenced local people to start cultivating them. During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the industry developed rapidly, with large-scale mulberry planting in what was then known as the "Ningyuan Prefecture Asuo La Region" (now including Jiankang, Yumen, and Yongxing townships in Yanbian County). By the early years of the Republic of China, mulberry cultivation had reached a certain level. According to the "Survey of Forest Products in Ningnan," Yanbian regularly produced over 300,000 mulberry trees, making it the county with the highest number and fastest development of mulberry cultivation in the Ningnan region. From the early years of the Republic of China to the mid-1970s, the development of the sericulture industry in Yanbian stagnated at around 600,000 trees, mostly consisting of seedling varieties, with low mulberry fruit yields, small fruit size, and a strong sour taste. In the 1980s, the Yanbian County Party Committee and County Government placed great emphasis on mulberry production. Leveraging regional advantages along with the unique sunlight, soil, and climate conditions of the Panxi region, they introduced high-quality mulberry varieties and supported all townships across the county in vigorously developing mulberry cultivation. In 1984, the county had 1.13 million mulberry trees covering an area of 1,100 mu; by 1992, there were 17 million trees covering 18,000 mu; and by 2010, the mulberry cultivation area exceeded 60,000 mu, with an annual mulberry fruit yield of over 6,500 tons and an annual output value of more than 50 million yuan. Yanbian mulberries are high-yielding, large-fruited, and rich in nutrients, containing amino acids, vitamins, β-carotene, and anthocyanins. In the late 20th century, Yanbian mulberries were mainly used for traditional Chinese medicine, mulberry paste, and mulberry wine. In recent years, Yanbian County has accelerated the development of the mulberry industry by establishing associations and organizing merchants to uniformly purchase and centrally sell fresh fruit. Products are exported to major cities such as Beijing, Dalian, Chongqing, Chengdu, and Kunming, where market demand outstrips supply, winning strong consumer favor and showing broad market prospects.

　　Geographical Scope

　　The geographical indication protection area for Yanbian Mulberries includes 11 townships (towns) in Yanbian County, Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province: Yumen Town, Yongxing Town, Huimin Township, Guosheng Township, Ganyu Township, Qinghe Township, Wenquan Township, Hongbao Township, Gesala Township, Gonghe Township, and Hongguo Township. The geographical coordinates are 101°06′17″ to 101°47′45″ east longitude and 26°47′46″ to 27°07′35″ north latitude, extending east to the eastern boundary of Gonghe Township, south to the southern boundary of Hongguo Township, west to the western boundary of Wenquan Township, and north to the northern boundary of Hongbao Township. The protected area spans 265,000 hectares with an annual yield of 11,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: Yanbian mulberries are relatively large and oval-shaped; the fruit length is 1–3 cm, and the diameter is about 1 cm; the surface is not smooth, with a stable dark purple color that remains even in dried form; the juice content is high, and the flavor is sweet with a slight acidity. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Yanbian mulberries have a soluble solid content of ≥13%, anthocyanin content of ≥1500 mg/kg, and are rich in β-carotene and amino acids. (3) Quality and Safety Standards: They comply with the safety requirements of the "Pollution-Free Fruits" standard (GB18406.2-2001).