Xifeng Apples

Xifeng Apples

　　Xifeng District is located in the heart of Dongzhi Plateau and falls within a continental temperate semi-humid climate zone. With significant diurnal temperature variations and abundant sunlight, it is one of the most suitable areas for apple cultivation on the Loess Plateau of eastern Gansu. To date, the total area of orchards in the district has reached 109,000 mu, including 87,000 mu planted with apples, 8,000 mu with apricots, and 14,000 mu with other fruits; the total fruit output is 50,000 tons; the total output value is 59.14 million yuan, and the per capita fruit income of farmers is 220 yuan. Xifeng apples feature well-shaped fruits, large size, bright color, high sugar content, and excellent taste.

　　Currently, the district has established six 10,000-mu fruit-growing townships—Wenquan, Shishe, Houguansi, Xiaojin, Dongzhi, and Pengyuan—as well as 23 specialized fruit-growing villages with over 1,000 mu each, such as Heji’ao and Mibao. Apple cultivation has expanded to 23 varieties, offering a rich selection for fresh consumption, processing, and early-, mid-, and late-season ripening. The products are sold to more than ten major and medium-sized cities across the country and have been exported to Southeast Asia, Russia, Mongolia, and other countries. The promotion of fruit industry technology has been intensified, with optimized orchard management leading to a noticeable improvement in fruit quality. To date, there are 2,389 fruit industry technicians in the district, supported by fruit service teams, fruit industry associations, fruit dealers, and comprehensive post-harvest services. Techniques such as thinning flowers and fruits, laying reflective films, formula fertilization, orchard grass mulching, and fruit bagging have been widely adopted, resulting in continuously improved orchard management and fruit quality year by year. Xifeng-grown Fuji apples have won one national gold award, three provincial gold awards, four silver awards, and five municipal gold awards. In 1994, the district was recognized by the provincial government as an “Advanced Horticultural Unit.” In 1997, it was ranked among the top ten counties (cities) in the province for its key fruit industry. In July 2004, it was certified by the Ministry of Agriculture as a national pollution-free apple production base, and all pollution-free agricultural product (apple) green certifications have been obtained. The “Qingqing” and “Xifeng Huatai” apple brands have been registered, laying a solid foundation for creating renowned Xifeng fruit brands and expanding sales both domestically and internationally. The total fruit output in the district reached 40,413 tons, with a total fruit output value of 48.44 million yuan, marking a 10.8-fold increase compared to the 1995 figure of 4.47 million yuan. In key fruit-growing areas such as Wenquan and Shishe, the per capita annual fruit income of farmers reached 638 yuan, accounting for 30% of the district’s average per capita rural income, enabling many fruit growers to achieve prosperity. As the orchard area has expanded year by year and yields have significantly increased, while pre-harvest management has been strengthened, post-harvest operations have become increasingly refined. Marketing methods have evolved from single traditional practices, separated production and sales, and scattered individual operations to diversified and multi-modal operations, integrated production-supply-sales chains, and industrialized models led by key enterprises. The district now has a total of 518 fruit storage facilities, with an annual storage capacity of 22 million kilograms. Five large-scale fruit storage facilities have been established, including the Xiaojin Fukang Controlled Atmosphere Storage, Chunyuan Constant Temperature Storage, Tianfu Constant Temperature Storage, and Jinlin Constant Temperature Storage, enabling seasonal production with year-round sales and supply. This has formed a “company + base + farmer” production model. Meanwhile, Gansu Tongda Juice Factory, a large fruit processing enterprise in Xifeng, has addressed the issue of unsold substandard fruits for local growers.

　　In recent years, the fruit industry in our district has been moving toward variety optimization and product efficiency, aiming to produce pollution-free, green fruits to achieve the goal of “offering what others don’t have, and offering better quality where others do.” By focusing on quality, we strive to create Xifeng-branded apples with distinctive local characteristics. The large-scale development of the fruit industry has also driven the growth of local fruit packaging and transportation sectors, created employment opportunities for idle labor, and increased farmers' income.