More than 200 experts and scholars from the Hubei Citrus Society gathered in Zigui County, Yichang City, for the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Society and the inauguration ceremony of the Three Gorges Citrus Industry Research Institute. The county is known as the “Hometown of Chinese Navel Oranges” and is the only county-level production area of “Four Seasons Fresh Oranges” in China.

Citrus is the largest fruit category in Hubei Province, with a planting area of 3.64 million mu and a production of 5.38 million tons. The annual meeting of the Hubei Citrus Society and the establishment of the Three Gorges Citrus Industry Research Institute have significant meaning for promoting the integration of citrus “production-research.”

During the meeting, experts and scholars conducted in-depth research on Zigui’s citrus industry chain and carried out academic exchange activities. They visited Qu Gu International Agriculture, a leading enterprise in the citrus deep processing industry, and Guo Qu E-commerce, a leading enterprise in the e-commerce industry, to investigate the development of Zigui’s navel oranges. They also visited the Shuitianba Township citrus orchard to investigate the development of cultural tourism integration of Zigui’s navel oranges.

According to Professor Liu Jihong of the Provincial Citrus Society, Zigui is the largest late-maturing navel orange production area in China, and the development history of the Zigui navel orange industry is a microcosm of the provincial citrus industry. Under the joint efforts of “government, scientists, entrepreneurs, and farmers,” scientific and technological innovation has promoted the vigorous development of the entire citrus industry chain.

At the unveiling ceremony of the Three Gorges Citrus Industry Research Institute, 20 experts and professors were hired as the first batch of experts of the institute, and three citrus industry unveiling projects were released. The experts and scholars had heated academic exchanges.

Zigui County has a citrus planting area of 400,000 mu, a production of 1 million tons, and an annual comprehensive output value of 20 billion yuan. It has vigorously introduced talents and gathered wisdom based on the characteristics of each link of the whole industry chain and the life cycle of the citrus pillar industry. It has established a database of practical technical talents for citrus in the whole county and organized agricultural talents to apply for professional technical titles.

Zigui County deeply practices the concept that green water and green mountains are golden and silver mountains, adheres to ecological priority, promotes green development, and initially forms a citrus industry pattern of “connecting production, supply, addition, and sales, integrating agriculture, culture, tourism, and sports.”

Zigui County has continuously done a good job in “navel orange + Qu Yuan culture” and “navel orange + tourism.” It has built 12 agricultural tourism integration bases and was selected as one of the 150 boutique tourism routes by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Currently, 90% of the townships, more than 80% of the administrative villages, and more than 70% of the population in the county are engaged in navel orange-related industries. The average annual income of citrus-planting households in the county has increased by more than 10,000 yuan.

In addition, the county has also established a standardized production and management system for citrus, which has improved the quality and safety of citrus products. This has also helped the county’s citrus industry gain recognition and popularity both domestically and internationally.

The annual meeting and inauguration ceremony held in Zigui is a testament to the county’s dedication to the development of the citrus industry. It is a great opportunity for experts, scholars, and industry insiders to exchange ideas, share experiences, and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.

The establishment of the Three Gorges Citrus Industry Research Institute will also play a crucial role in promoting the integration of production and research in the citrus industry. It will provide a platform for scientific research, talent training, and industry innovation. This will not only help the county’s citrus industry to achieve further development but also contribute to the sustainable development of the citrus industry in Hubei Province and even the whole country.

Overall, Zigui County’s citrus industry has made remarkable achievements in recent years, thanks to the joint efforts of various stakeholders. The county’s experience and practices can serve as a valuable reference for other regions in China and even other countries. The county will continue to promote the development of the citrus industry with a green and sustainable approach and contribute to the revitalization of rural areas and the building of a beautiful China.

Source: CHFS News