Fumin Bayberries

Fumin Bayberries

Fumin Bayberries are a protected geographical indication product.

Fumin Bayberries are a certified geographical indication trademark.

Fumin Bayberries are an agricultural geographical indication product.

　　It’s bayberry season again. Big, bright red bayberries hang abundantly on the branches, as over 3,000 bayberry orchards in Fumin County, Yunnan Province, open their gates simultaneously. The bayberry-picking activities in Fumin have evolved into a well-known rural tourism brand in Kunming.

　　Vast bayberry orchards can be found in every village and town in Fumin, where the joy of “planting, picking, tasting, and selling bayberries” is everywhere. Upon arriving in Fumin, whether along the roadside or inside the orchards, you’ll see branches weighed down by glistening, mouthwatering bayberries. From Kunming into Fumin, villagers holding signs inviting visitors to pick bayberries in their own orchards line the road every few dozen meters. Fruit farmers selling bayberries along the way form long queues. Bayberries grow densely packed on the trees, and many locals can’t resist their allure, flocking into the orchards to pick their own. Fresh bayberries at around 20 yuan per kilogram are considered great value. Once the Bayberry Festival begins, farmers can earn bumper profits without even needing to carry their produce into town—some households make over 200,000 yuan from bayberry farming alone.

　　Aside from being eaten fresh, bayberries can also be used to make bayberry wine. The wine has a pure taste with a slight sweet aftertaste. The locals are very welcoming—not only do they teach visitors how to brew the wine, but they can also help ferment it for free, ready for visitors to take home, thus boosting the local brewing industry. After enjoying the fun of picking their own bayberries, tourists can also savor an authentic farmhouse meal, which stimulates the local catering business. In recent years, during the first few days of the Bayberry Festival, over 100,000 people have dined directly at the county’s holiday resorts and farm stays, generating more than 3 million yuan in catering revenue and driving comprehensive economic benefits worth 20 million yuan. Moreover, both the number of bayberry pickers and diners increases day by day, making it a new highlight of economic growth in the county and a famous destination for travel and leisure.

　　Fumin County is a less-developed area. Leveraging its locational advantages—being close to the provincial capital Kunming, having convenient transportation, and boasting a good ecological environment—the county adheres to the theme of “a green homeland and a leisure paradise.” It integrates agricultural sightseeing tourism projects centered around harvesting distinctive fruits such as large-tree bayberries, cherries, grapes, and peaches, and vigorously develops eco-tourism and hands-on farming experiences, creating a new highlight of economic growth within the county.

　　Fumin enjoys fresh fruits all year round, with large-tree bayberries being the most famous. Adapting to local conditions, Fumin has set the development goal of characteristic agriculture focused primarily on planting large-tree bayberries. While upgrading existing bayberry orchards, the county has introduced and planted new varieties such as Crystal Bayberry and Black Crystal Bayberry through transplantation of mature trees, and has established contiguous bayberry plantations on mountainsides around the urban area and along highways, achieving a rational mix of early and late maturing varieties. By early 2011, the planted area of bayberries in Fumin had reached 27,800 mu, with an estimated yield of 4,200 tons.

　　Fumin Bayberries

　　Geographic Scope

　　Fumin Bayberries are produced within Fumin County, Yunnan Province, which administers five towns and one subdistrict office: Luomian Town, Chijiu Town, Kuanzhuang Town, Dongcun Town, Sandan Town, and Yongding Subdistrict Office. The geographical coordinates are: 102°21′–102°47′ east longitude and 25°08′–25°36′ north latitude, stretching 51.6 kilometers from north to south and 44.2 kilometers from east to west, covering a total area of 1,003 square kilometers. The lowest elevation is 1,455 meters, and the highest peak reaches 2,817 meters. The production area of Fumin Bayberries spans all five towns and one subdistrict office in the county, covering a cultivation area of 2,000 hectares with an annual yield of 4,500 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Features: Fumin bayberries are medium-sized, uniform, with an average weight of about 10 grams per fruit. The skin is dark purple-red, glossy, and the shape is spherical. The bottom is flat, the sutures are not obvious, and the stem is small. The taste is pleasantly sweet and sour. The flesh is purple-red, with well-developed pulp pillars, juicy, aromatic, and contains a small seed. It is highly nutritious. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Fumin bayberries ripen early, are resistant to storage and transport, and are high in nutritional value. The fruit is rich in sugar and various vitamins. It contains 12.67% soluble solids, 28.51% total sugar, 0.61% total acid, 61 mg of vitamin C per 100 ml of juice, and 0.146% potassium content per kilogram of fruit. (3) Safety Requirements: Comply with the standards specified in GB2762, GB2763, and GB10650.