Longchuan Loquats

Longchuan Loquats

　　Longchuan loquats are a specialty of Longchuan County in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Introduced and developed in 2001 from Rongcheng Town, Fuqing City, Fujian, the main varieties brought in include "Changhong No. 3," "Jiefangzhong No. 6," and "Zaozhong No. 6." The loquat varieties in Longchuan are of high quality — large in size, sweet in taste, and pleasant in texture — making them highly favored by consumers. The produce is exported to neighboring provinces and cities such as Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guizhou, bringing substantial income to many fruit growers.

　　The dryland soil in Longchuan County’s basin area belongs to lateritic red soil, with a soil layer depth of over 2 meters. It contains 2.52% organic matter, 0.13% total nitrogen, 0.06% P₂O₅, 1.97% K₂O, and has a pH of 5.3–6.5. The basin area sits at an elevation of 940 meters and enjoys a South Asian tropical monsoon climate. The total annual solar radiation is 590.34 Kj/cm², with 2,334 hours of sunshine annually. The average annual temperature is 18.9°C, the accumulated annual temperature is 6,777°C, and the difference between the average temperatures of the hottest and coldest months is 12.2°C. The average temperature in the coldest month is 11.7°C, with an extreme low of -2.9°C, while the average temperature in the hottest month is 23.4°C. The average daily temperature range is 13.2°C, and the average annual rainfall is 1,750 mm (with 16% in winter and spring, 64% in summer, and 20% in autumn). The area sees an average of 165 rainy days per year, with an average relative humidity of about 79%, an average wind speed of 1.5 m/s, a short frost period, and a frost-free period of up to 300 days per year.

　　Longchuan experiences no severe cold in winter, which means there is no dormant growth period for young loquat fruits. The Changhong No. 3 variety matures around the Spring Festival, roughly 25 days earlier than in Fujian, giving it an advantage for early market entry. With little rainfall in winter and spring (about 280 mm), plus ample sunlight — especially during the loquat ripening season from February to May when the diurnal temperature range exceeds 15°C — fruit coloration and carbohydrate accumulation are enhanced, resulting in superior quality. Summers are not excessively hot, which benefits the tree’s nutritional growth. The climate and soil conditions in Longchuan’s basin area are very suitable for the growth and development of loquats.

　　In June 2001, Longchuan first launched a contiguous demonstration planting project on dryland in Huda Village, Longba Town, covering 450 acres (approximately 29,000 plants). The main cultivars planted were Jiefangzhong, Changhong No. 3, and Zaozhong No. 6. By April–May 2003, some initial flowering and fruiting occurred in the Jiefangzhong and Changhong No. 3 varieties. Measurements showed that the largest single fruit of Jiefangzhong weighed up to 104 g with a soluble solids content of 11.7%, while Changhong No. 3 reached a maximum fruit weight of 52 g with 13.8% soluble solids and an edible rate of about 70%. Following the success of this demonstration, in 2003, the state-owned Longchuan Farm planted loquats contiguously on approximately 2,310 acres. By December 2004, the total loquat planting area across the county reached around 3,510 acres. Large-scale loquat cultivation in Longchuan was positioned as a commercial production initiative, and thus the development strategy emphasized regionalized planning, concentrated contiguous planting, focused breakthroughs, and overall advancement. The large-scale loquat orchards were mainly located in the flatlands and gentle sloping high-yield drylands at elevations of 940–1,050 m around the Longchuan Farm (Longba Town), which had been historically cultivated. The 450-acre demonstration site in Huda Village was equipped with water conservancy infrastructure. The planted varieties were red-fleshed types: Jiefangzhong, Changhong No. 3, and Zaozhong No. 6. The technical support and seedlings came from Xingfu Fruit Orchard in Rongcheng Town, Fuqing City, Fujian. Lin Ziqin, the head of the orchard, resided long-term in Longchuan to guide the loquat planting and development efforts.

　　In 2005, around 105 acres of the best-managed loquat orchards bore fruit. Early-maturing varieties such as Changhong No. 3 gradually matured and hit the market around the Spring Festival, with the largest single fruit weighing 75 g. Fully ripe fruits had a soluble solids content of 16.8%. Mid- to late-season varieties like Jiefangzhong matured and were marketed from April to May, with the largest single fruit reaching 157 g and fully ripe fruits having a soluble solids content of 15.7%. Loquats in Longchuan were sold at prices as high as 20 yuan per kg, attracting visits from provincial and prefectural officials as well as domestic and international fruit dealers. In April 2005, Mr. Jin Genqing, director of the Jinhua Fruit Research Institute in Zhejiang Province, visited and commented that Longchuan loquats were larger, sweeter, and far superior in quality to those from Fujian and Zhejiang. Farmer Yang Chungang, who planted loquats on about 2.55 acres, earned over 10,000 yuan in income, serving as a model and catalyst for other growers to develop their own loquat production.

　　Currently, Longchuan Huda loquats have been registered under a trademark, and farmers have established bylaws to form a loquat association. 2006 marked exactly four years since the start of loquat planting in Huda, and April–May is also the golden harvest season for Huda loquats. The expected yield for 2006 is around 40 tons.