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China Pomegranate City (1) | yuanyuan "durian" long: May durian flowers shine brightly between the branches when the first form of the child

author:Flower dance Tang Chun

Editor's Note:

This is an ancient and magical seed from the Western Regions.

The flowers burn like fire, and the fruit is as clear as a diamond. It once survived in ancient Greek mythology, Buddhism called it the auspicious fruit, and the Persians called it the sacred tree of the sun; Libya and Spain are used as national flowers, and its motif is on the Spanish coat of arms; In Azerbaijan, it is inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity ...

This ancient and mysterious seed is none other than a pomegranate!

Pomegranate is one of the earliest fruit trees and flowers introduced and cultivated by humans. After thousands of years of continuous spread, it is now cultivated in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe along the Mediterranean. At present, pomegranates are cultivated in about 30 countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, India, Israel, the United States, and China. Among them, Iran, India and China have a large planting area and yield of pomegranates.

The cultivation and use of pomegranates, in human history, dates back to 4000-5000 years. Archaeologists excavated ruins of your dynasty dating back 4,000-5,000 years in Iraq, and in the tomb of Queen Subuad, the queen's crown was inlaid with pomegranate motifs. It can be seen that pomegranates have a long history in the West.

So when this magical seed enters the Central Plains, with the ups and downs of more than 2,000 years of time and the immersion of Chinese civilization, what kind of appearance does it show and what kind of story does it bring?

"He Nian An Shi Guo, Wanli Gong Durian Flower." The source of the river is passed, and the Han envoys the chakra. This is the Tang Dynasty poet Yuan Shu's "Twenty Rhymes of Feeling Pomegranates", describing the tortuous story of pomegranates entering the Central Plains. As early as the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions and brought back pomegranate seeds from the Zagros Mountain of the Tulin Anshi State, so people also called pomegranates "An Pomegranates". At this point, the pomegranate waded from the distant western region, wading through the mountains and waters into the ancient country of Chinese civilization.

Flowers burn the western dream, and the fruit presses han and tang autumn. Time flies and the years change, and the pomegranate turns into the depths of the Yunling Mountains. It has been more than 800 years since the "Pearl of Southern Yunnan" has settled down in Mengzi.

China Pomegranate City (1) | yuanyuan "durian" long: May durian flowers shine brightly between the branches when the first form of the child

23°21'50"N, 103°24'2"E – Mengzi City, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Mengzi is located in the southeast of Yunnan Province, is the "National Gateway • Southern Yunnan Center" and the seat of the Honghe Prefecture Capital, with a long history and culture, rich natural resources, unique location advantages.

As an important fruit pillar industry in Mongolia, pomegranates have been baptized several times by farming, forming a development trend of planting area of 140,000 mu, an annual output of 360,000 tons, an annual output value of 1.2 billion yuan, and more than 100,000 people directly benefiting. It has developed into the main pomegranate producing area with the fourth pomegranate planting area, the second largest output in the country, and the first in the export volume in the country, forming a unique and beautiful landscape of "orchards in the city and in the orchards".

In 2004, the State Forestry Administration awarded Mengzi the title of "Hometown of Pomegranates in China"; In 2010, Mengzi Pomegranate obtained the certification of agricultural geographical indication products; In 2019, the Pomegranate Branch of the Chinese Horticultural Society awarded Mengzi the title of "China Pomegranate City" and the right to hold the "Fourth China Pomegranate Expo". Behind these fruitful fruits, we witness the magnificent cultivation of pomegranates in Mengzi and the hard work of the people of Mengzi.

Not long ago, the first phase of the fifteenth conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) came to an end in Kunming. Yunnan, known as the "animal kingdom" and "plant kingdom", has shown the world its magic and beauty. Mengzi, which has the reputation of "Pearl of Southern Yunnan", has established a unique ecological civilization in Mengzi with the technology of ecological agricultural tourism, forestry and biology.

From September 22 to 24, the 4th China Pomegranate Expo and the 10th National Pomegranate Production and Scientific Research Seminar and the 10th National Pomegranate Production and Scientific Research Seminar in 2022 and the First International Pomegranate Culture Digital Cloud Expo in 2022 will be held simultaneously online and offline in Mengzi Bridge Rice Noodle Town and Honghe Guanfang Hotel. The expo with the theme of "Rural Revitalization of The Chinese Dream , Ten Thousand Seeds and Thousands of Red Pomegranate Cities" was hosted by the Pomegranate Branch of the Chinese Horticultural Society, the China Agricultural Products Market Association, the China Agricultural International Cooperation Promotion Association, and hosted by the Mengzi Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Mengzi Municipal People's Government.

China Pomegranate City (1) | yuanyuan "durian" long: May durian flowers shine brightly between the branches when the first form of the child

Bustling Mengzi (Photo by Bai Bin)

Protect the centuries-old tree Pomegranate

23°21'18"N, 103°26'14"E – Pomegranate Garden, a century-old tree in Mengzi Xin'ansuo Street. According to the appraisal of authoritative institutions, the ancient pomegranates in the 100-year-old pomegranate garden of Mengzi are all more than 130 years old; The longest-lived "birthday star" has reached the age of 198.

According to historical records, at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, pomegranate cultivation began to flourish in the area around Xin'ansuo. This large area of sandy land bordering Xiaodongshan Village and Liyuan Village in Xiaohongzhai Village is very suitable for the growth of pomegranates. At that time, some wealthy merchants in Xin'an Ande and foreign merchants in Guangxi came here to rent land to grow pomegranates.

At the beginning of the morning, the midsummer sun gently sprinkles on the pomegranate of the century-old tree, and the heavy fruit of the branches gently sways in the morning wind.

The breeze blows, a few drops of dew fall, and fall on the face of the tree under the vicissitudes - Zhang Yuewei, a Zhuang Hanzi born in 1963, a native of the original residents, who has lived for generations in Xiaohongzhai Village near the ancient tree pomegranate garden. Since childhood, he has been crawling in the surrounding 10,000 acres of pomegranate gardens, and he knows every tree here.

Xiaohongzhai Village is a village inhabited by a mixture of Miao, Zhuang, Yi and Han ethnic groups. In 2006, Zhang Yuewei led the establishment of the first pomegranate production and marketing professional cooperative in Mengzi. At that time, the biggest problem faced by the cooperative was that local consumers did not understand and disagree with mengzi pomegranate, making it difficult to open the market. Therefore, he proposed: "To establish our credibility and confidence, to build a brand; To let consumers taste for free to recognize our pomegranates; To achieve green food, so that consumers can rest assured. ”

China Pomegranate City (1) | yuanyuan "durian" long: May durian flowers shine brightly between the branches when the first form of the child

As a result, the cooperative registered the "Monson" brand trademark.

After signing contracts with major supermarkets, every pomegranate that enters the supermarket is labeled with the "Monson" brand trademark. In the entry of supermarket sales of the publicist, responsible for the promotion and opening of pomegranates for customers to taste; All pomegranates tasted in the supermarket are provided free of charge, and it is solely responsible for failure to meet the standards in pesticide residue testing. In the process of e-commerce sales and transportation, if there is a box or a fruit damage, all are responsible for compensation.

In this way, in less than three years, the credibility brand of "Green Monson , Rest Assured Monson" has been launched throughout the country. The Mongolian pomegranate has gradually embarked on an integrated road of "production, supply, marketing and processing", which has promoted the healthy and steady development of the Mongolian pomegranate industry.

Under the leadership of Zhang Yuewei, Mengsheng Pomegranate Production and Marketing Professional Cooperative won the honorary title of "National Farmers' Cooperative Demonstration Society"; "Mengsheng" brand pomegranate has won the "First Prize of Beijing Olympic Recommended Fruit Selection", "China's Most Influential Cooperative Product Brand", "2013 National Famous And Excellent Fruit Fair Best-selling Product Award", "National Hundred Cooperatives 100 Agricultural Product Brands".

China Pomegranate City (1) | yuanyuan "durian" long: May durian flowers shine brightly between the branches when the first form of the child

Today, Zhang Yuewei is the chairman of Mengzi Mengsheng Pomegranate Production and Marketing Professional Cooperative, the chairman of Mengzi Xin'an Institute Ecological Agriculture Research Association, and the general manager of Mengzi Ecological Agriculture Science and Technology Service Co., Ltd. He has won the "Implementation of Warm Project" National Advanced Individual, "Rural Science Popularization Work Advanced Individual", "Top Ten Rural Cooperative Economic Innovation Entrepreneurs", "Leading Style Award", "The First Yunnan Top Rural Talents", "Honghe Prefecture Top Ten Scientific and Technological Innovation Talents" and "Honghe Prefecture Labor Model".

Wiping away the dew on his face, Zhang Yuewei smiled lightly and looked at a tree in the distance- the 198-year-old "old life star" Pomegranate King. Under the tree, a young man was hoeing grass—that was his successor, and the new force that mengzi planted and carried forward, his son Zhang Xian.

Keep the roots of the pomegranate

With the development of the times and the transformation and upgrading of agriculture, farmers have been given a deeper meaning, and the "new farmers" with knowledge, vision, skills and pursuits are committed to the scientific planting of traditional agriculture and the innovation and exploration of modern business methods.

Zhang Xian, a post-90s and Zhuang ethnic group, a native of Mengzi, is also a "new farmer" and "second generation". He is currently the president of the Honghe Jiuhong Industry Development Association, the secretary general of the Mengzi Pomegranate Association, and the chairman of the Mengzi Mengsheng Pomegranate Production and Marketing Professional Cooperative.

In Zhang Xian's memory, his ancestors had been cultivating pomegranates for generations. His father, Zhang Yuewei, threw himself on planting pomegranates, and this persistent spirit in his father has always influenced Zhang Xian.

"When you grow up, you must also become a farmer", Zhang Xian's dream is different from the small friends around him. He wants to be like his father, or rather, to be a "new farmer" who is stronger than his father, and a "leader" who leads his father and fellow villagers to get rich.

China Pomegranate City (1) | yuanyuan "durian" long: May durian flowers shine brightly between the branches when the first form of the child

Talking about his father, Zhang Xian said with emotion: "When I was a child, my impression of my father was that he often went out and took pomegranates to all parts of the country. I think my father dared to think and dare to do, and it also led to the development of our local and surrounding areas, and I also wanted to be like him. ”

In 2014, Zhang Xian returned from studying abroad. At the age of 22, he has a clear goal, and his father has laid a good foundation; But future developments need to be injected with new ideas that are more advanced. After prompting the annual sales of pomegranates in the Shanghai marketing department to exceed 10 million yuan, in 2015, Zhang Xian opened up the Hangzhou market alone. The following year, Hangzhou Seven Birds Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. was founded, actively promoted the hometown industry, and was recognized by the capital market, and got 2 million yuan of "angel investment", with regional annual sales of more than 5 million.

In 2018, Zhang Xian returned to Mengzi as the chairman of the cooperative. In 2019, Mengsheng Pomegranate won the fourth place in the top ten famous fruits in Yunnan Province; Successfully held "2019 Mengzi Pomegranate Picking Festival 'Authentic Origin' Activity", "Exploring the Centennial Durian Garden • Pin GuShu Durian Fruit" Mengzi Ancient Tree Pomegranate Discovery Tour Press Conference and other activities. For many years in a row, the press conference of the list of the century-old pomegranate was held in Beijing and Shanghai.

China Pomegranate City (1) | yuanyuan "durian" long: May durian flowers shine brightly between the branches when the first form of the child

That is, in that year, Mengsheng Pomegranate appeared at the SGS booth of the Shanghai Import Expo; Jingdong's "Mengzi Pomegranate Flagship Store" sales exceeded 23 million yuan. In Jingdong's "Double Eleven" activities, the sales of fruit categories ranked third in the country, the sales volume of pomegranates ranked first, and won the "Quality Excellence Award" and "Quality Progress Award" issued by Jingdong officially; In 2021, in the case of low market prices of similar products, the sales of Monsoon pomegranates will increase by 30% over the same period in 2020, directly driving local farmers to increase production and income. The premium and brand premium of Mengzi Pomegranate have been realized, and the popularity of Mengzi Pomegranate in the country has been improved.

In addition to improving the quality of fruits and promoting through multiple channels, Zhang Xian has not forgotten the original intention of driving more people to get rich. From time to time, cooperative societies invite experts in agriculture to train their members in plantation management. At the same time, the cooperative adheres to the industrialized operation and order planting mode of "company + base + farmer" to achieve a "win-win" situation for enterprises and farmers.

China Pomegranate City (1) | yuanyuan "durian" long: May durian flowers shine brightly between the branches when the first form of the child

"I was born in a peasant family, I am the son of a farmer, and I want to make the business profitable and make the farmer rich through my own efforts." At the same time, as a 'new farmer' of Mengzi, I hope that through innovation, I can extend the industrial chain, adapt to market changes, use science and technology to empower agriculture, protect the culture of Mengzi pomegranate, keep the roots of Mengzi pomegranate, and be a builder and 'dreamer' of rural revitalization." ”

"Second generation of creation", "second generation of farmers", "new farmers", Zhang Xian's body has a lot of labels, he knows that this is a recognition of him, but this is more of a responsibility and responsibility.

Help members increase their income and become rich

23°20'3"N, 103°26'1"E- Standardized Sorting Factory of Mengzi Southern Xinjiang Fruit Production and Marketing Professional Cooperative.

At present, the standardized sorting plant has built a 1,000 square meter fresh-keeping cold storage. In the future, a 3500 square meter standardized pomegranate sorting assembly line packaging plant will be built, including fruit sorting equipment and ancillary equipment. In the spacious sorting workshop, nearby fruit farmers drive tricycles filled with pomegranates directly in, grading, weighing, taking money, returning, everything is as smooth as an assembly line.

China Pomegranate City (1) | yuanyuan "durian" long: May durian flowers shine brightly between the branches when the first form of the child

Zhang Musheng, a nearby crowd, drove a tricycle in, and in a short time sold the pomegranates on the car, "The family planted 13 acres of pomegranates, and now they are in full bloom." Every harvest season, the Southern Xinjiang Fruit Production and Marketing Professional Cooperative publishes the type, grade and quantity of fruit to be purchased in the WeChat group of the members. According to the time and the ripening of their own fruits, the members of the company can pick and transport them here, and they can sell them smoothly. ”

Mengzi Nanjiang Fruit Production and Marketing Professional Cooperative was established in May 2009, located in Xin'ansuo Street, a famous historical and cultural town in China, and is a farmers' professional cooperative integrating professional planting, sales integration and socialization services.

At present, the cooperative members have developed from 10 households at the beginning of their establishment to 171 households, and there are more than 100 planting experts engaged in the cultivation of pomegranates, peaches, loquats and other Mongolian characteristic fruits, and have a technical production and management technology team. The cooperative has an export pomegranate planting base of 5760 mu, a green food certified pomegranate planting base of 1200 mu and a peach planting base of 800 mu, and the products are exported to 28 provinces and cities in China and Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and other neighboring countries and regions. ”

China Pomegranate City (1) | yuanyuan "durian" long: May durian flowers shine brightly between the branches when the first form of the child

Tong Feng, chairman of the Mengzi Southern Xinjiang Fruit Production and Marketing Professional Cooperative, introduced that we adopt the operation mode of "cooperative + company + base + farmer + marketing", give full play to the leading role of the cooperative, large-scale and brand production and sales of Mengzi characteristic fruits, promote rural specialized production, make the planting technology, resources and funds and other production factors rationally optimized, promote the industrialization of Mengzi characteristic water, and become an effective carrier to help members increase their income and become rich.

While vigorously improving product quality, the cooperative has opened up the market through the organization of a capable marketing team, and increased the sales volume of Mengzi pomegranate, Mengzi chickpea peach and Mengzi loquat in domestic and foreign markets. Products in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Southeast Asia, Thailand, Vietnam, has established a stable sales market.

"Now, the cooperative has fully developed sales channels from a single fruit wholesale market sales, to the development of e-commerce, a piece of distribution, and then to the product supply chain of large chain fresh groups; From local fruits from Mongolia to high-quality specialty fruits in Yunnan, we strive to build the cooperative into a supply chain for Yunnan fruits. ”

China Pomegranate City (1) | yuanyuan "durian" long: May durian flowers shine brightly between the branches when the first form of the child

Tong Feng introduced that in 2020, while ensuring the steady sales of fruits, the cooperative also organized marketers to start getting involved in the vegetable market, signed a cooperation framework agreement with Guangzhou Qianxian E-commerce Co., Ltd., and became its direct supply strategic partner in the field of fruits and vegetables in Yunnan.

In 2021, the cooperative established the "Honghe Zhou Guoxianda Import and Export Trade Co., Ltd." to increase the sales channels for exporting to the Southeast Asian market to further broaden and extend the sales network in southern Xinjiang. The radiation of the cooperative has driven 3,000 people from 500 surrounding farmers to carry out standardized pomegranate cultivation.

In 2020, the cooperative sold more than 8,000 tons of fruits such as pomegranates, chickpeat peaches and loquats, with sales of more than 45 million yuan and a per capita income of more than 25,000 yuan for members. The income per mu of pomegranate has increased from more than 8,000 yuan in the past to more than 12,000 yuan now, and the highest is more than 20,000 yuan, which has brought better income increase benefits to the members. In 2020, it won the provincial industrial base of "green food brand". In 2021, the cooperative "Mengya Red" brand pomegranate won the title of "Top Ten Famous Products" in Yunnan Province. (To be continued) (Text/Zhang Mi Zhao Mengting Photo/Propaganda Department of Mengzi Municipal Party Committee, Mengzi Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs)

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