Hancheng "Dahongpao" Sichuan Pepper

Hancheng "Dahongpao" Sichuan Pepper

Hancheng "Dahongpao" Sichuan Pepper is a Geographical Indication Protected Product.

Hancheng "Dahongpao" Sichuan Pepper is a Geographical Indication Certified Trademark.

　　Hancheng Becomes the Largest Sichuan Pepper Production Base in China Hancheng, a city in Shaanxi Province famed both at home and abroad for its "Dahongpao" Sichuan pepper, has recently passed the provincial-level standard inspection for its "100-li Double Ten Million Trees Sichuan Pepper Base." With this milestone, Hancheng has become the first county (or city) in China to meet the standards for a Sichuan pepper production base and is also one of the largest Sichuan pepper production bases in the country. Hancheng is the hometown of Sima Qian. People here have been growing Sichuan pepper for 600 to 700 years. In 1985, the municipal Party committee and government decided to leverage this distinctive local product by making full use of mountainous areas and terraced fields. Adapting to local conditions, they initiated the project to plant Sichuan pepper everywhere possible, aiming to establish a "100-li Double Ten Million Trees Sichuan Pepper Base." By August of this year, Hancheng had successfully planted and maintained 23.7 million Sichuan pepper trees. The annual yield of Sichuan pepper skyrocketed from 10,000 kg to 2 million kg. The product sells well both domestically and internationally. The large-scale cultivation of Sichuan pepper has brought substantial economic benefits to local farmers. This year, the income from Sichuan pepper reached 28 million yuan, with the per capita income of the city’s agricultural population increasing by 110 yuan—accounting for 20% of the city’s per capita net income. In major Sichuan pepper-producing areas, 129 households earned over 10,000 yuan annually, while more than 1,000 households earned over 5,000 yuan. Farmers call Sichuan pepper their "golden beans." A local saying goes, "With a hundred Sichuan pepper trees, you can earn a thousand yuan a year and achieve prosperity." Since most Sichuan pepper trees are planted along field ridges, this has enabled dual-layer production of both pepper and grain, increasing land use efficiency by 30–40%, turning what were once barren ridges into valuable plots. At the same time, Sichuan pepper trees have effectively improved ecological conditions and the microclimate of farmland. According to a survey by Northwest Forestry College on Hancheng’s Sichuan pepper-growing areas, the roots of Sichuan pepper trees have effectively controlled ridge collapses and reduced soil erosion by up to 60%. Compared to non-pepper areas, Sichuan pepper cultivation zones have seen an average wind speed reduction of 30.25% during the growing season, a 4% increase in relative air humidity, and a 25.7% decrease in evaporation. The nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content in the soil under 15-year-old Sichuan pepper trees is 3%, 87%, and 127.9% higher, respectively, than in non-pepper areas. The large-scale planting of Sichuan pepper has also promoted advancements in agricultural science and technology. National, provincial, regional, and municipal forestry science and technology experts have collaborated in recent years to tackle nine research projects related to Sichuan pepper. Among them, the research on the biology and integrated management of the Sichuan pepper narrow bark borer has been recognized by experts as leading in China. Our City’s 100-li Pepper Belt Emits a Fragrant “Red Sash,” Yielding 100 Million Yuan Annually Every mid-August, the 100-li Sichuan pepper base fills the air with an enchanting fragrance. According to yield estimates by the Municipal Agriculture and Forestry Bureau, this year’s total output of "Dahongpao" Sichuan pepper will reach 4.5–5 million kg, marking the best harvest year in history. This fragrant “red sash” wrapped around the hilly areas will once again bring over 100 million yuan in income to our city. "Dahongpao" Sichuan pepper is a historic and premium specialty of our city, hailed as the "Famous Pepper of China." Since the 1980s, our city has focused on Sichuan pepper as a key species for afforestation to reclaim barren land. As a result, over 30 million Sichuan pepper trees have taken root in barren mountains, slopes, thin farmland, mountain ridges, field edges, and along roads and irrigation channels. The large-scale planting of Sichuan pepper has given rural areas, especially those in hilly regions, wings to soar. Last year, the total Sichuan pepper output reached 3.5 million kg, generating an economic income of 85 million yuan. The per capita annual income from Sichuan pepper in rural areas reached 336 yuan. More than 4,000 farming households in hilly areas earned over 10,000 yuan annually just from Sichuan pepper, with the highest income exceeding 100,000 yuan. Our city’s Sichuan pepper production accounts for one-eighth of the national total, making it the largest and most profitable Sichuan pepper production base in China. The sustained and efficient development of Sichuan pepper in our city is thanks to the promotion and application of science and technology. Here, Sichuan pepper research and production go hand in hand. Low-yield forest transformation and pest control research have consistently been at the forefront nationally. After most Sichuan pepper trees entered their peak fruiting period, breakthroughs were made in comprehensive utilization and product development research. Technicians developed a "Sichuan Pepper Extract" product, filling a gap in the domestic and international Sichuan pepper product market. "Sichuan Pepper Extract" is now widely used in industries such as medicine, chemicals, and food. The deep processing of Sichuan pepper generates over 20 million yuan in annual income for our city. (Hancheng)