Mohuer Grapes

Mohuer Grapes

Mohuer Grapes are a product recognized with a Geographical Indication for Agricultural Products.

　　"The Hometown of China’s Red Globe Grapes" —— The Mohuer Ranch in Huocheng County

　　"Beautiful night, so serene, only my guitar lingers on the grassland——" The Kokdala Grassland mentioned in the song is located in today's Mohuer Ranch, Huocheng County. With a long and storied history, Mohuer Ranch is a place where the histories and cultures of various ethnic groups have collided and blended. It is home to the ancient ruins of the Xialimai City, which dates back over 6,000 years (Arimai means "Apple City" in Turkic). This site was once one of the most influential international cities of the medieval period. Today, this once-flourishing ancient city has transformed into vast fertile farmland, a major area for fruit orchards, and a key border defense region. The development of the ten-thousand-mu Mohuer Grape planting base further inherits and highlights the long-standing fruit-growing heritage of this land. In 1998, the Party Committee of Mohuer Ranch introduced a new path to prosperity for local residents by investing 1 million yuan to lease 213 mu of land and successfully cultivating American Red Globe table grapes. This project was later recognized by the autonomous region as part of the "Spark Program" and became the production base for the "Huocheng Ten-Thousand-Mu Red Globe Comprehensive Industrial Development Project." In 2003, Mohuer Ranch was honored as the "Hometown of China’s Red Globe Grapes" by the national government, and a ten-thousand-mu Grape Sightseeing Garden was established. Since the garden's inception, it has hosted visits from several national leaders. In 2006, the wife of a former leader tasted grapes she had personally picked at the Western Region Dragon Pearl Grape Sightseeing Garden and exclaimed, "This is the most delicious grape I’ve ever eaten!" In 2007, Hong Kong’s then-Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa visited the vineyard and praised, "Grapes of such high quality are fully capable of entering the international market." In 2010, multiple national leaders, including [names omitted], toured the vineyard to admire the vast grape fields and sample the delicious Mohuer Grapes. Local grape growers rely on specialized cooperatives to distribute their produce to regions such as Hubei, Hunan, Guangzhou, and Sichuan, with exports also reaching Kazakhstan and surrounding countries. Leveraging the collective strength of these cooperatives, the region has vigorously developed an export-oriented economy. Over 70% of the annual yield from the ten-thousand-mu Mohuer Grape base is sold abroad. Today, Mohuer Grapes have become an essential fruit on the dining tables of residents in the Ili region. Large-scale development has attracted a continuous stream of domestic and international buyers, resulting in a supply that struggles to meet demand. Nowadays, in Ili, the mere mention of "Mohuer Grapes" immediately brings to mind the Mohuer Ranch in Huocheng County. The superior quality of the "Red Globe" grapes produced here—outperforming those from California, USA—has led to large-scale cultivation, establishing this region as the "Hometown of China’s Red Globe Grapes."

　　Mohuer Grapes

　　Geographic Scope

　　The Mohuer Grape producing area is located in the Mohuer Ranch, situated 34 km northwest of Huocheng County in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Bordered by the Tianshan Mountains to the north and the Ili River Valley to the south, the terrain slopes from the north toward the southwest. Its geographic coordinates are: longitude 80°32′–80°43′ east, latitude 44°11′–43°54′ north. The area administers six agricultural villages and two pastoral villages, stretching from Axiutas (a mountain summer pasture) in the north to Takermohuer Desert (a plain winter pasture) in the south, adjoining the 62nd Regiment in the west and connecting to the Yichegashan Xibe Ethnic Township in the east. The protected area spans 2,700 hectares, with an annual grape yield of 20,000 metric tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Features: The grape clusters are large and elongated-conical, with an average cluster weight of 650 g and a maximum of up to 2,500 g. The berries are round or oval, averaging 11–14 g per berry, with a maximum of up to 23 g. The berries are moderately loose to tight on the cluster, uniformly arranged. The skin is medium-thick, and the fruit is deep red in color. The flesh is firm and crisp, can be sliced thinly, and tastes sweet and pure, with soluble solids content exceeding 16.5%. The fruit holds well when cut, showing no juice leakage, indicating top-tier quality. The stems are long and firmly attached to the berries, making them less prone to cracking. The brush (cluster stem) is thick and robust, ensuring strong attachment and excellent resistance to shedding. The grapes are suitable for long-distance transport and long-term storage, with storage possible until March of the following year. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Mohuer Grapes are highly nutritious, with soluble solids content between 16–22%. They are rich in vitamins and multiple minerals, including calcium (62–67 mg/kg), sodium (18–20 mg/kg), iron (3–6 mg/kg), magnesium (35–40 mg/kg), and copper (0.3–0.7 mg/kg). (3) They comply with the safety requirements of the "Pollution-Free Food – Deciduous Berry Fruits" standard (NY5086-2005).