Korla Dates

Korla Dates

　　◣Dates: The “Golden Fruit” of Prosperity◥

　　During the ripening season of dates in Xinjiang, farmers in Tuowankashi’airike Village, Gezileke Township, Korla County, are busy harvesting bright red dates from their contracted orchards. Nowadays, dates have become the “golden fruit” that brings prosperity to the local people.

　　“At the best time for date harvesting, I come to Korla County to work for date farmers. I can pick at least 30 baskets of dates a day on my own, earning 150 yuan a day, and sometimes up to 190 yuan,” said date picker Yalikun Yahup.

　　The date trees here are covered with a layer of white netting—this protective layer effectively guards against hail damage and bird pecking.

　　Guo Jianzhong is a major date grower who came to Tuowankashi’airike Village, Korla County, in March 2014. He has contracted 180 acres of date orchards.

　　When talking about date cultivation, his face lights up with a smile: “This year, my date harvest turned out even better than I expected. I reckon more people will be eager to grow dates next year.”

　　Source: The Last Kilometer