Zhangzhou, 24 Nov (ZXS) -- Topic: Guanxi honey pomelo: "The hero of the fruit" travels all over the world
Written by Zhang Jinchuan Liao Zhenmei
"The fruits of Fujian, lychee is a beauty, Fu Tang is a famous man, and if it is peaceful and thrown, it is also a chivalric, and the fragrance is excellent." Fujian, located on the southeast coast of China, is rich in fruits due to its warm and humid subtropical maritime monsoon climate. Among the fruits, Shi Hongbao's "Miscellaneous Notes on Min" in the late Qing Dynasty praised Pinghe Guanxi honey pomelo as a "chivalrous".
The picture shows the pulp of the pomelo. Photo by Zhang Jinchuan, reporter of China News Agency
"Compared with well-known Fujian fruits such as lychee and fu orange, Guanxi honey pomelo is not so bright in color, but it is large, fragrant and flavorful." From the perspective of Zhuang Mu, director of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Pinghe County, Zhangzhou City, the "chivalry" is graphic and appropriate.
The fruit has a thin skin, seedless flesh, juicy and soft, sweet and slightly sour... The "bursting juice" of Guanxi honey pomelo is named because it is produced in the Guanxi watershed of Pinghe County.
The picture shows a new honey pomelo cultivated by grafting exotic varieties in Pinghe County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province. Photo by Zhang Jinchuan, reporter of China News Agency
It is reported that Pinghe County has been cultivating Guanxi honey pomelo since at least the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, which has a history of more than 500 years. During the Qing Dynasty, Guanxi honey pomelo was called "Pinghe Tou", and entered the palace inner garden as a tribute during the Xianfeng period. The long history of planting has made Pinghe known as "the world's pomelo town, China's pomelo capital".
One side nurtures the other property. Located at 24 degrees north latitude, the average annual temperature is 21 °C, the red loam soil is rich in selenium, mountain spring water irrigation, unique geographical location and natural environment, creating the unique delicacy of Guanxi honey pomelo. According to the physical and chemical test results of the China Institute of Atomic Energy Science, each 100 ml of Guanxi honey pomelo juice contains 48.9 mg to 52 mg of vitamin C, which is 6 times higher than that of duck pear. Guanxi honey pomelo is also known as "canned natural fruit" because of its storability, which can be stored for up to three months.
The picture shows the scene of Guanxi honey pomelo live streaming in Pinghe County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province. Photo by Zhang Jinchuan, reporter of China News Agency
In the past 10 years, Pinghe scientists have selected and bred red flesh honey pomelo and three red (i.e. flesh red, exocarp red and endocarp sponge layer red) honey pomelo from the natural variation of white flesh honey pomelo, and widely planted them.
"People in inland areas like sweet and sour taste, and white flesh and honey pomelo with moderate sweetness and sour are preferred; People in coastal areas prefer sweets, and red meat and pomelo with high sugar and low acid are more favored. Zhuang Mu said.
The picture shows that in Pinghe County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, freshly picked grapefruit is about to be poured into the digital intelligent sorting production line for accurate classification. Photo by Zhang Jinchuan, reporter of China News Agency
In order to further optimize the industrial structure and meet the diversified needs of consumers, Pinghe also actively tries to graft foreign varieties and cultivate new products, such as Pinghe "Red Beauty" is the high position of Guanxi honey pomelo grafted from Japan's "Ehime No. 28". At the same time, Thai ruby pomelo was introduced in Pinghe, with a planting area of about 6,000 mu; The introduction of American chicken tail grapefruit has become the largest grapefruit production base in China.
"Looking at the economic benefits, planting scale and duration, Guanxi honey pomelo is a 'miracle' in the citrus world world." Zhuang Mu said. According to official data, in 2021, Pinghe pomelo planted an area of 650,000 mu, with an output of 1.95 million tons and an output value of 4.5 billion yuan (RMB, the same below). In the first half of 2022, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in Pinghe County reached 10,078 yuan, an increase of 8.6% year-on-year.
In order to further improve quality and efficiency and green development, the local government attaches great importance to scientific and technological empowerment. Last year, Pinghe County introduced a digital intelligent sorting production line and established a standardized base for fresh fruits, which can accurately classify grapefruit according to indicators such as sugar, size, weight, and defects.
The picture shows workers working on a digital intelligent sorting production line in Pinghe County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province. Photo by Zhang Jinchuan, reporter of China News Agency
Recently, Pinghe Honey Pomelo Science and Technology Institute was listed as the "Most Beautiful Science and Technology Small Hospital" of the China Agricultural Technology Association in 2022. The technical models such as "weight loss, magnesium supplementation and efficiency" and "soil fertilizer + rape flower + banned herbicide" created by the small institute have been promoted and applied in the county, achieving weight loss of more than 60% in the pomelo producing area, which not only greatly reduces costs, but also provides strong support for the improvement of honey pomelo quality and industrial green development.
The picture shows Xu Yihua, head of Pinghe Digital Rural Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., introducing that the digital intelligent sorting production line introduced by the county can be accurately classified according to the sugar, size, weight, defects and other indicators of grapefruit. Photo by Zhang Jinchuan, reporter of China News Agency
Since becoming China's first citrus fruit to enter the EU market in 2003, Guanxi honey pomelo has been exported to more than 40 countries and regions, and "Peace Warrior" has walked the world. (End)
Source: China News Network