Fengqing Walnuts

Fengqing Walnuts

　　Fengqing walnuts have a long cultivation history. According to experts, they have been grown for over 3,000 years. Planted mostly in mountainous and high valley regions, these walnuts grow in a natural, unpolluted environment. They are large in size, have thin shells, white kernels, a fragrant taste, and a high oil content. As a traditional export commodity, Fengqing is known as the “Hometown of Chinese Walnuts.”

　　　　Yunnan Province’s Fengqing County, honored as the “Hometown of Chinese Walnuts” by the national government, is actually a typical mountainous agricultural region where most people live in hilly or semi-hilly areas. In 1976, Fengqing was designated as a province-wide base county for developing English walnut cultivation. In December 2004, it was officially named the “Hometown of Chinese Walnuts” by the State Forestry Administration. The local community has long maintained the tradition of planting walnuts, making English walnut forests one of the county's primary specialty economic tree crops. Fengqing walnuts are favored for their excellent qualities—large fruit, thin shells, thick flesh, and fragrant taste.

　　　　It is reported that Fengqing is currently establishing a Walnut Research Institute to explore new development models, further improve the industry’s development level, and enhance technological innovation capabilities. Meanwhile, in 2007, the plan was to newly plant walnut orchards on 16,700 hectares, bringing the total cumulative walnut-growing area in the county to 73,300 hectares. In 2004, Fengqing County was listed by the National Standardization Management Committee as a standardized demonstration zone for high-quality English walnut cultivation under the “Five Ones” initiative. To date, the county has completed walnut planting on 56,700 hectares, with 12,000 hectares of bearing English walnut trees yielding 8,600 tons and generating an output value exceeding 180 million yuan. Nearly 1,000 households in the county earn over 10,000 yuan annually from walnut production, with the highest single-household income reaching more than 70,000 yuan. A total of 61 specialized walnut villages have been established.

　　　　In developing its walnut industry, Fengqing County adheres to the “Five Ones” planting standards: “one standardized pit (for planting), one qualified sapling, one load of farmyard manure, one bucket of root-fixing water, and one sheet of covering film.” Since the Tenth Five-Year Plan period, the county has integrated various projects and resources. Based on surveys of how the diverse climate impacts large English walnut growth, it has determined that the most suitable altitude range for English walnuts in Fengqing is 1,600–2,100 meters, the secondary suitable altitudes are 1,200–1,600 meters and 2,100–2,200 meters, while unsuitable areas are below 1,200 meters and above 2,200 meters. The county is vigorously developing English walnuts in suitable regions, advancing at a pace of 6,677 hectares per year, transforming scattered walnut cultivation into industrialized development. Following the path of “industrializing the economy and ecologizing the industry,” the county has mobilized the public extensively, implementing five development models: “high-grafting of iron walnuts, transplanting grafted seedlings of iron walnuts, transplanting and grafting wild iron walnuts, low-yield transformation of English walnuts, and direct seeding of green fruits.” It also strictly manages five key stages: “sapling management, preliminary planning, afforestation quality, inspection and acceptance, and tending management.”