Luochuan Apples

Luochuan Apples

Luochuan Apples is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Luochuan Apples is a product certified under China’s Agricultural Geographical Indications.

　　Luochuan is located at the core of the prime apple-growing belt on the Weibei Loess Plateau. The area features a large diurnal temperature range, deep and loose soil rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and other trace elements, offering naturally superior conditions for apple production. It is one of the few places in the world that meets all seven meteorological criteria for optimal apple cultivation and has been recognized by domestic and international fruit experts as the world’s best apple-growing region.

　　The county has 500,000 mu (approximately 33,333 hectares) of apple orchards, averaging 3.1 mu per farmer—the highest in China. It is the only county nationwide to achieve green certification across its entire apple-growing area and boasts the largest contiguous apple plantation area globally. Luochuan has been designated as a National Export Food and Agricultural Products Quality and Safety Demonstration Zone, a National Demonstration County for Advantageous Agricultural Product (Apple) Industrialization, a National Demonstration County for Standardized Production of High-Quality Apples, a National Demonstration County for Export of Pollution-Free Agricultural Products, and a Provincial “One County, One Industry” Demonstration County. In 2016, the county produced 880,000 tons of apples, generating total apple revenue of 4 billion yuan.

　　Here, fragrant orchards, azure skies, refreshing air, birdsong, and the honest, kind, trustworthy, and open-minded people of Luochuan together paint a harmonious picture of humans and nature. Green industries, green cities, green villages, and the green lifestyle embraced by the locals have become a stunning highlight that attracts global attention.

　　Luochuan’s land, water, and air are free from pollution. We are fully capable of providing consumers with safe and healthy apples, making green, pollution-free, eco-organic, and health-focused living synonymous with Luochuan. Starting with green food, organic food, and agricultural geographical indication certifications, we have built a quality and safety supervision system for apples—from orchard to table—to ensure the safety and quality of Luochuan apples right from the source.

　　Leveraging Luochuan’s resource advantages and industrial foundation, we have made the development of modern apple industrial parks a breakthrough point for innovating plateau-specific fruit industry models. This has led to the creation of an agri-commerce and tourism-integrated fruit economy that combines planting, processing, exhibition, and culture. We’ve built a complete industrial chain from field to factory, market, and dining table. By promoting intensive and large-scale management of the Luochuan apple industry, and vigorously developing leisure and sightseeing fruit farming, we have achieved remarkable economic, ecological, and social benefits. Luochuan has become a national leader and model in the apple industry, referred to by scholars as the “Luochuan Phenomenon” or “Luochuan Model.”

　　Since their introduction and cultivation in 1947, Luochuan apples have won over 170 national and provincial-level awards. They have secured naming rights for more than 30 events, including the Shanghai World Expo, the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, and the 2013 Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference. At the First China Agricultural Product Brand Building Promotion Conference, they were named “China’s Most Influential Regional Public Brand,” with a brand valuation of 6.59 billion yuan in 2016. At the First Brand Annual Conference of the China Fruit Marketing Association, “Yan’an · Luochuan Apples” were awarded a spot among the Top 50 Chinese Fruit Regional Public Brands in 2015.

　　Looking ahead, Luochuan will actively align with the global trend of agricultural integration. Following the vision of "strong apple industry, prosperous apple growers, and beautiful apple homeland" proposed by General Secretary [Xi Jinping], we will further expand openness and cooperation in the fruit industry, actively explore new development models under the new normal, and promote the transition from characteristic fruit farming to branded fruit industry.

　　Luochuan apples are renowned worldwide. They are primarily grown on the Weibei Loess Plateau, centered around Luochuan, and extending to surrounding counties and cities such as Yan’an, Tongchuan, Chunhua, Liquan, and Baishui. The orchards stretch across thousands of miles.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Sixteen townships in Luochuan County, Shaanxi Province: Puti, Huangzhang, Jiuxian, Yongxiang, Fengqi, Jingzhao, Jiaokou, Yangshu, Laomiao, Huai Bai, Shiquan, Tuji, Qinguan, Baiyi, Shitou, and Zhuniu

　　Unique Qualities

　　Shaanxi’s Luochuan is known as the “Hometown of Apples.” The apples produced here are famous for their excellent color, aroma, and taste. With superior quality, beautiful shape, uniform size, clean surface, vibrant color, crisp and dense flesh, high sugar content (2%–3% higher than apples from other regions), delicious sweetness, moderate hardness, and excellent storability (they can be kept in earthen caves until April or May of the following year), they rank the highest among similar apples in China and are renowned both domestically and internationally. The county has been listed as one of the country’s major bases for apple exports, with annual sales reaching hundreds of millions of kilograms.

　　Cultural Stories

　　Luochuan County is located in the southern part of Yan’an City, on the gully region of the Weibei Loess Plateau, and is an agricultural county characterized by its apple industry. Covering a total area of 1,804 square kilometers with 64 square kilometers of arable land, it administers 7 towns, 9 townships, 1 subdistrict office, and 371 administrative villages. The county has a total population of 204,000, including 161,000 agricultural residents. Luochuan possesses naturally superior conditions for developing the apple industry and is globally recognized as the best apple-growing region. It has been designated as a National Demonstration County for Advantageous Agricultural Product (Apple) Industrialization, a Quality Standardized Production Demonstration County for Pollution-Free Premium Apples, a Food Safety (Apple) Demonstration County, and Shaanxi Province’s only “One County, One Industry” Demonstration County. Luochuan apples have become the designated apples for the Great Hall of the People, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team, and the Olympic Games. In October 2010, the “Luochuan Apples” geographical indication trademark was recognized as a Famous Trademark of China by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, and it was publicized on the official website on October 8. With a brand valuation of 2.523 billion yuan, “Luochuan Apples” were included in the Top 100 Chinese Agricultural Product Regional Public Brands.