Zhengning Apples

Zhengning Apples

　　The Loess Plateau in northwest China meets seven meteorological indicators ideal for apple cultivation, making it the world’s recognized largest optimal apple-growing region. Within this zone, Zhengning County stands out as the premier growing area. With an average altitude of 1,460 meters, an average temperature of 8.3°C, annual precipitation of 630 mm, and a frost-free period of 180 days, the soil is mainly black loam, deep and rich in organic matter. There are no industrial zones within the county or its surrounding areas, no metal mines across the region, and no issues with air, soil or water pollution. The air quality, water quality, and soil all meet the standards for producing green, pollution-free fruit.

　　Zhengning County was among the 22 national apple production counties designated during the Eighth Five-Year Plan period. The Tenth Five-Year Plan further listed it as an advantage apple-producing county on the Loess Plateau in the northwest. The county’s Fuji apple series — Changfu, Qiufu, Yantu, and Duanfu — as well as its Qin Guan and Yulin apples have won three national, provincial, and municipal gold awards and eight silver and bronze awards. In terms of fruit shape, color, and quality, 80% of Zhengning’s produce reaches premium-grade standards: apples contain 15.8% soluble sugar, 0.35% titratable acid, 56 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, 8.2 kg/cm² flesh firmness after peeling, and exhibit either solid red or streaky red coloring.

　　In 1999, a 90,000-mu green apple production base was established in Qiaotou Township, Yonghe Town, and Sanjia Township, yielding over 20 million kilograms of apples annually. Zhengning’s apples, branded as “Longmi,” are sold immediately upon harvest at a rate of 70%. High-quality apples are mostly exported to Guangdong and Hong Kong; mid-tier apples go to Henan, Inner Mongolia, and Russia; while lower-grade apples are processed locally into bottled apple pulp and juice, sold across the northwest. The apple industry has become a key pillar of the county’s economic development.

　　Zhengning has a long history of apple cultivation. The 1763 (28th year of the Qianlong reign in the Qing Dynasty) edition of the *Zhengning County Annals* records the planting of “píngbō guǒ” (apple-like fruit), which, upon deeper research, is identified as “pín pó guǒ” or “píng pó guǒ” — both early terms for apples (see page 200 of *Selected Tales of the Tang and Song Dynasties*, compiled and annotated by Zhang Youhe, published by People's Literature Publishing House in 1979). In 1958, the county established a fruit tree station and introduced varieties such as Red Delicious, Red Chief, and Yellow Chief, beginning trial plantings at Wanglu Mountain in Gonghe, Qiaotou Beach, and Xijia Xizuiwan. After 1974, in addition to Red Delicious and Red Chief, new varieties like Dashan Hong, Green Banana, and Chicken Crest were introduced, planted by some administrative villages on collective hillsides and by individual households around their homes. However, these efforts were small-scale, low-yield, and managed extensively, failing to develop into a productive industry. Around 1984, the county introduced ordinary Red Fuji series with good coloration from Zhaoyuan County, Shandong Province — such as Changfu No. 2 and Qiufu No. 1 — practicing sowing, grafting, and nursery preparation all within the same year. By 1988, the county had 100,000 mu of apple orchards, but due to poor management, subpar cultivation techniques, and weak pest control, the planted area later declined and fluctuated between 40,000–50,000 mu.

　　From 1994 to the present, apple production in Zhengning has been in a stable and healthy developmental phase. Centered around the overall goals of “developing fruit, enriching the people, and strengthening the county,” guided by market demand and focused on efficiency, the county has made full use of its resource advantages. It has emphasized scaling up cultivation, strengthened management to improve quality, and developed product lines to boost profitability, turning the fruit industry into a secondary source of fiscal revenue and a new economic growth point. First, a green apple production belt has taken shape, including a 50-km high-yield belt from Shanhe to Zhoujia, a 20-km premium base from Wuchengyuan to Yonghe, a 10,000-mu premium base area in Sanjia, and a 10,000-mu high-tech demonstration zone in Nanyuan. Apple production has passed the comprehensive monitoring and acceptance of the Provincial Green Food Office. Second, management levels have significantly improved. The county achieves over 95% compliance — and demonstration orchards reach 100% — on five annual orchard management practices: fertilization, pruning, spraying, whitewashing, and orchard sanitation. New high-quality, high-yield technologies such as fruit bagging, reflective film laying, fruit-shape agent spraying, straw mulching and film wrapping, limb pulling and shoot twisting, bud carving and girdling, and water-saving irrigation have been widely promoted, steadily boosting both yield and quality. Third, industrial development is gaining strong momentum. Fruit production has largely adopted the “company + base + farmer” industrial model. The county has developed 15 private fruit processing enterprises, processing 700,000 kg of various fruits annually, with a processing output value of 3.5 million yuan and profits & taxes of 350,000 yuan. There are 16 fruit storage facilities over 50 tons, 76 over 30 tons, 218 over 10 tons, and 460 simple cellars, storing 5 million kg of fresh fruit annually and adding 700,000 yuan in preservation value. Twenty-one fruit trading firms and 39 fruit transport and sales teams handle 6 million kg of fruit per year, generating over 200,000 yuan in profit and taxes. Among them, the Zhengning Longdong Fruit Group Corporation stands out. It includes four departments — Base Development, Service Support, Processing, and Storage & Sales — with 12 retail outlets, one carton factory, one foam net factory, 33 fruit storages over 10 tons, and total fixed assets of 1.5 million yuan. In 2003, its total output value reached 12 million yuan, making it the leading company in Zhengning’s fruit industry development.

　　In summary, Zhengning County has unparalleled advantages for developing its apple industry, along with low production costs and a high input-output ratio. Currently, large-scale apple producers are thriving in the county, with 2 households earning over 100,000 yuan annually, 260 households over 10,000 yuan, and 6,750 households over 5,000 yuan. Zhengning has been honored by both the national and provincial governments with awards such as the “Green Great Wall Award” and recognition as one of the province’s “Top Ten Counties for Forestry and Fruit Industry Development.”