Congjiang Pomelo

Congjiang Pomelo

Congjiang Pomelo is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Pomelos are hailed as the "King of Citrus in the Far East." They have a well-balanced sweet and tangy flavor, leaving a richly sweet aftertaste with a pleasant crispness. With a high sugar-to-acid ratio of 15-24:1, they are packed with nutrients such as vitamins and carotene. The fruit has a high edible rate, typically weighing between 120-140g per piece. The stem end features radiating grooves, and the shape is either tall and oblong or flat-round, with the tall shape being optimal. Its shape index is 0.8-1, the peel is orange-red or orange-yellow, the rind has a thick wax layer, and a bright sheen. The skin is loose and easy to peel. The pomelo trees are tall and dense, with upright main branches and branches with minimal tapering.

　　　Congjiang pomelos have successively won the Ministry of Agriculture’s “Ministerial Premium” product award and the gold medal at the 1993 Bangkok China High-Quality Agricultural Products Expo. To date, 48,650 acres of high-standard orchards have been established, yielding an annual production of 21,000 tons.

　　　　According to the Liping Prefecture Chronicles: “Citrus fruits are produced throughout Liping Prefecture (Liping, Rongjiang, Congjiang), with those from Guzhou being the best.” A poem in the chronicles reads: “After autumn, the orange trees endure frost, yellow dots dot the lush green clusters. By dawn, boats are laden with oranges, fragrant breezes and sunny days fill the river.”

　　　　The primary variety of Congjiang pomelo is a superior strain introduced mainly from Xiangxi, Hunan, and other areas in 1984. This variety uses trifoliate orange as the rootstock and is known for early bearing, high and stable yields, drought tolerance, heat resistance, and pest and disease resistance. The average single fruit weighs 135.9 grams, with a vertical diameter of about 5.9 cm and a horizontal diameter of about 7.1 cm. There are usually 6–10 tumor-like protrusions around the stem. The edible rate is 63.9%, juice content is 49.5%, and each 100 ml of juice contains 12.26 g of sugar and 0.73 g of acid, offering a well-balanced sweet and sour taste. It is refreshing and energizing when eaten fresh, does not cause excessive internal heat with regular consumption, and is beneficial to health.

　　　　Three-year-old pomelo orchards yield 1,065 kg per mu, four-year-old trees yield an average of 13.5 kg per tree, or 1,707 kg per mu, five-year-old trees yield 2,541 kg per mu, eight-year-old trees yield an average of 65 kg per tree, with a maximum of 125 kg per tree. Fruits ripen from late November to early December. They can be stored at room temperature for four months without spoilage.

　　　　Congjiang pomelos have strict environmental requirements. The ideal temperature range is between 24–28°C, with minimum temperatures no lower than -5°C and maximums not exceeding 45°C. The area requires 1,200–1,800 hours of annual sunshine, annual rainfall above 1,000 mm, and a frost-free period of over 300 days. Within Congjiang County, areas below 600m in elevation and with slopes under 25 degrees suitable for fruit cultivation cover 268,000 acres, offering considerable development potential.

　　　　Large-scale commercial pomelo base construction in Congjiang officially began in 1986. The Congjiang County Party Committee and County Government proposed an economic development strategy of “focusing on forestry in the long term, fruit in the mid-term, and immediate needs for food and clothing.” They firmly incorporated pomelo and other fruit production as a path to prosperity for farmers into the county’s overall economic development plan. After years of unremitting effort, Congjiang was designated as a Guizhou Provincial Pomelo Production Base County. The Congjiang Pomelo Commercial Base Construction Project successively won the Guizhou Provincial Spark Science and Technology Second Prize and the National Spark Science and Technology Fourth Prize. As an outstanding southern fruit, Congjiang pomelo has received a series of honors:

　　　　In 1989, at the National High-Quality Fruit Appraisal and Competition held in Nanchang, Jiangxi, it was rated as a Ministerial Premium Fruit Product by the Ministry of Agriculture.

　　　　In 1990, at the Famous and High-Quality Citrus Conference held in Zhejiang, Congjiang pomelo was included in the book “China’s Famous, Special, and High-Quality Oranges and Their Cultivation.”

　　　　In 1991, the Congjiang County Pomelo Commercial Base Construction Project won the Guizhou Provincial Spark Science and Technology Second Prize.

　　　　In 1992, the Congjiang Pomelo Commercial Base Construction Project won the National Spark Science and Technology Fourth Prize.

　　　　In 1993, “Congjiang Pomelo” was selected by Guizhou Province to participate in the “93 China High-Quality Agricultural Products and Scientific and Technological Achievements Exhibition” held in Bangkok, Thailand, where it won a gold medal.

　　　　In 1999, Congjiang County was recognized by the State Forestry Administration as the “Hometown of China’s Famous and Special Economic Fruit Forests (Pomelo).”

　　　　In 2004, Congjiang County was certified by the Ministry of Agriculture as a “Ministry of Agriculture South Asian Tropical Crops (Pomelo) Premium Base.”

　　　　In 2004, the “Duliu River” brand Congjiang pomelo obtained the National Quality Inspection and Quarantine Bureau’s “Geographical Indication Registration” certification.

　　　　In 2004, the 15,000-acre pomelo base across 21 villages in Guandong Town, Xiajiang Town, and Yongli Township of Congjiang passed the pollution-free production area certification by the Guizhou Provincial Department of Agriculture.

　　　　In 2006, Congjiang pomelo obtained “Green Food” certification. (By Liang Quankang)