Wensu Walnuts

Wensu Walnuts

　　Wensu walnuts are a specialty of Wensu County in the Aksu region of Xinjiang. The walnuts from Wensu are known for their high yield, thin and smooth shells, degenerated inner septa that make it easy to extract whole nuts, high kernel yield and oil content, as well as light-colored, fragrant kernels.

　　Wensu County in Xinjiang has long been known as the “Hometown of Walnuts.” In order to expand and strengthen the walnut industry, the county has focused its efforts and resources on the development of a 60,000-mu (approximately 4,000 hectares) production base for thin-shelled walnuts along a 30-kilometer stretch north of the Revolutionary Canal. This base integrates ecological conservation, water-saving practices, and tourism, and is supported by the ten-thousand-mu High-Tech Demonstration Zone for Thin-Shelled Walnuts at the Walnut Forest Farm.

　　The Wensu Walnut Forest Farm is located approximately 5 kilometers northwest of Wensu County in the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, at an altitude of 1,700 meters. Covering an area of over 300,000 mu, it is a premium organic walnut production area in Xinjiang. The walnut farm boasts a rich variety of cultivars, with up to 21 different types, nine of which have been certified and promoted by national authorities. These include XinXin No. 2, XinWen No. 185, XinZaoFeng, XinCuiFeng, Zha 343, Wen 179, XinWen No. 81, Wen 233, and XinJuFeng. Among these, five varieties—XinWen No. 185, XinXin No. 2, Zha 343, Wen 179, and XinZaoFeng—have been widely cultivated across the country due to their strong early bearing capacity and high yields, thin and smooth shells, degenerated inner septa, ease of extracting whole kernels, high kernel yield and oil content, and light-colored, fragrant kernels. In 2007, the Wensu Walnut Forest Farm won five first prizes at the 5th National Symposium on Nut Production and Science & Technology. Through further selection and breeding, XinXin No. 2 and XinWen No. 185 have become the dominant cultivars not only in Wensu but also across southern Xinjiang. These two varieties are highly productive, with maximum yields reaching 491 kg per mu (based on a planting density of 44 trees per mu with 3×5 meter spacing), and minimum yields around 250 kg per mu—surpassing international leading standards (230 kg per mu in the U.S.). They also exhibit high resistance to stress, cold, and pests, along with smooth, thin shells. XinXin No. 2 has a shell thickness of 1.2 mm, while XinWen No. 185’s shell is just 0.8 mm. Both are easy to crack, offering high kernel yield (53%–70%) and oil content (65%–70%), both of which are 2%–5% higher than other varieties. In 2007, XinXin No. 2 and XinWen No. 185 respectively won gold awards at the International Forestry Industry Expo. XinWen No. 185 was also awarded the Gold Prize for Recommended Olympic Fruit in 2008. In 2009, at the China Walnut Conference in Shangluo, Shaanxi, XinXin No. 2 and XinWen No. 185 received gold and silver awards, respectively. In terms of organic cultivation, the Wensu Walnut Forest Farm applied for certification of 2,000 mu in 2006, which was subsequently granted by the Beijing Zhonghuan Certification Center. In 2009, the farm applied for an additional 4,000 mu of organic walnut certification, which was also approved. Thanks to organic farming practices, fruit quality has significantly improved, earning recognition as a “Consumer Trustworthy Food” and a “China Famous Fruit Brand” from the Autonomous Region Quality and Technical Supervision Center.

　　Currently, Wensu walnuts are sold to major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Xi'an, Chengdu, and Changsha, covering the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions, with an annual demand of up to 3,000 tons.