Fuxian Apples

Fuxian Apples

　　Fuxian is known as the "Hometown of Apples" and one of the "World’s Best Apple-Growing Regions." The apples produced here are famed for their excellent color, aroma, and taste. They are of high quality, beautifully shaped, large and uniform in size, clean-skinned, brightly colored, crisp and dense in flesh, and high in sugar content (2%–3% higher than apples from other regions), sweet and delicious, with moderate firmness and good storability (they can be kept in earthen caves until April–May of the following year). These qualities rank them among the best apples in China, earning them widespread acclaim both at home and abroad. The county has been listed as one of the major national production bases for apple exports, with annual sales reaching hundreds of millions of kilograms.

　　Fuxian is located in the transitional zone between the Weibei Dry Plateau and the Loess Plateau, featuring a continental warm temperate monsoon climate. It is recognized by experts both in China and abroad as one of the best apple-growing regions, meeting all seven key criteria for producing high-quality apples, thus enjoying uniquely favorable natural conditions for apple cultivation. The region has deep soil layers extending up to 150 meters, an average elevation of around 1,100 meters, annual precipitation of about 600 mm, an average annual temperature of 9.1°C, significant diurnal temperature variation with an annual average range of 14.9°C, a frost-free period of approximately 170 days, and annual sunshine duration ranging from 2,157.4 to 2,574.9 hours, with a sunshine rate of 55%. There are no large-scale industrial or mining enterprises in the county, ensuring that the environmental factors affecting production—such as water, air, light, heat, and soil—are free from pollution and meet the optimal requirements for apple growing. All 300,000 acres of orchards across the county’s 11 towns, 3 communities, can be included in the scope of establishing a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) demonstration zone.

　　Fuxian has been designated by the Ministry of Agriculture as a key apple industry belt, among the top 20 apple-producing counties nationwide, a China High-Quality Apple Base County, and a Shaanxi High-Quality Apple Base County. The county has 10 apple-producing towns, with a total apple cultivation area of 362,000 acres, including 170,000 acres certified as national green food production bases and 6,000 acres as organic apple bases. In recent years, our county has promoted standardized apple production techniques through the "381" Premium Fruit Project, leading the province and city in orchard management standards. There are 40 fruit-related enterprises and 37 farmers’ professional cooperatives in the county, including 39 cold storage facilities across 98 units and 2 controlled-atmosphere storage units. In 2011, apple production reached 450,000 tons, with a total output value of 1.8 billion yuan.