Yimen Chestnuts

Yimen Chestnuts

　　Yimen chestnuts are a specialty of Yimen County, Yuxi City, Yunnan Province. The chestnut is a native tree species in Yimen, with a long history of cultivation. By October 2012, Yimen had developed 26,000 mu of chestnut plantations.

　　The chestnut is a native tree species in Yimen, with a long history of cultivation. After the collective forest tenure reform, local enthusiasm for planting fruit and forest trees significantly increased. To accelerate the development of the forestry industry and ensure that farmers can increase their income and achieve prosperity through this sector, the Yimen County Party Committee and County Government have placed high importance on the development of the chestnut industry. They have vigorously promoted the use of the improved variety “Yimen Early Chestnut,” while also leveraging projects such as the national Work-for-Food afforestation program, the second phase of World Bank loan afforestation projects, and provincial nut tree base (mainly chestnut) afforestation projects. These efforts have led to the establishment of a standardized 5,000-mu contiguous cultivation demonstration base for “Yimen Early Chestnut” in Handian, Pubei Township, Yimen County—making a notable impact within the province. Additionally, a “Yimen Pubei Ten-Thousand-Mu Chestnut Village” has been developed in Pubei Township.

　　By October 2012, Yimen had developed 26,000 mu of chestnut plantations, with 20,800 mu already in production. This includes 12,000 mu of Yimen Early Chestnut, of which over 10,000 mu are in production. There were 21 orchards with contiguous plantings of more than 100 mu each, and over 600 orchards with plantings of more than 10 mu each. In 2012, the county produced 1,032.1 tons of chestnuts, generating an output value of 11.8696 million yuan.