This is an Italian olive variety introduced from a planting base in Wudu District, Longnan City. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Wenjing
Lanzhou, July 14 (Xinhua) -- At the end of June, an olive oil production enterprise in Longnan City, Gansu Province, won a grand prize in the International Olive Oil Competition held in Greece and was recognized by international peers. When the news reached Daoqi Village in Waina Town, Wudu District, Ru Ciming, a 50-year-old olive grower, clapped his hands excitedly and applauded, "The winning olive oil is the olive fruit we planted."
Olive oil is a world-famous woody oil tree species, native to the Mediterranean coast, introduced and cultivated to cover dozens of countries and regions around the world. In the 1960s, as a "national gift" given to China by the Albanian government, more than 10,000 olive saplings began to be cultivated in many parts of China.
Growing olive oil is very demanding on the geographical conditions. The climate and soil conditions of Longnan City are very similar to those along the Mediterranean coast. In 1975, Longnan introduced cultivation. From the introduction of seeds to the demonstration and promotion to the development of industrialization, Longnan, as the suitable area of Chinese olive oil, has developed into the most important olive planting base in China and is known as the "hometown of Chinese olive oil".
This is the Longnan olive tree photographed by the reporter. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Wenjing
In the past, olive oil crossed the ocean to China and took root in China. Now, with the support of Sino-foreign technical cooperation and talent exchanges, China's self-produced olive oil has also gone overseas, with more and more overseas fans.
At the demonstration planting base of olive oil in Hejiaping Village, Orange Township, Wudu District, Longnan City, the reporter saw that different varieties of olive oil from Spain, Greece, Italy and other countries thrived here, lush, fruit pressed branches, full of vitality.
Zhao Haiyun, director of the Office of Olive Industry Development in Wudu District, introduced that many countries such as Spain, Greece, Italy and other countries have a long history of olive cultivation, and advanced cultivation and processing technology. The olive oil they produce is a culinary necessity and is known as "liquid gold" because of its high nutritional value. In recent years, olive oil has gradually heated up in the Chinese market. Driven by the market, Longnan needs to exchange and cooperate with foreign countries to produce higher quality olive oil to meet consumer demand.
In 2009, Pedro taught olive cultivation techniques in Longnan City. Courtesy of respondents
The introduction of high-quality olive varieties from abroad and the learning of advanced planting and processing technologies from abroad have become important practices in Wudu District in line with international standards. With the support of the Science and Technology Department of Gansu Province, the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Gansu Province and other departments, well-known experts from the world's major olive oil producing countries have come to Wudu District for many times to teach and train, explain planting techniques to farmers in the field, and go deep into enterprises to introduce processing and storage precautions.
As early as 2009, Pedro Rodriguez, a Spanish olive nursery expert, came to Wudu District. At that time, the survival rate of cuttings seedlings in the standardized seedling base of olive oil in Wudu District was only about 50%, and with the help of Pedro's technology, the base greatly increased the survival rate of olive breeding to more than 90%.
Zhao Haiyun told reporters that Wudu District has introduced high-quality olive varieties from Spain, Greece, Italy and other countries for many years, and has promoted the good performance of tree species to ordinary growers in a large area. The olive varieties grown by Ru Ciming were imported from Spain. Last year, she earned more than $300,000 from olive cultivation. At present, more than 200,000 people in the region have benefited from the olive oil industry.
This is a series of products such as olive oil produced by Xiangyu Company. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Wenjing
A drop of olive oil witnesses the exchange and integration of China and foreign countries. In 2019, Gansu Time Olive Oil Technology Co., Ltd. spent more than 6 million yuan to introduce two Italian Bearez olive oil continuous production lines. Li Gang, general manager of the enterprise, said that this production line is at an advanced level in the world, which improves the efficiency of olive oil processing and ensures the quality of olive oil.
In June this year, the olive oil produced by the company won the grand prize at the International Olive Oil Competition held in Greece. Li Gang said: "Every drop of olive oil we produce is a model and crystallization of Sino-foreign exchanges and integration. ”
In July last year, at the 5th Athena International Olive Oil Competition held in Greece, the extra virgin olive oil produced by Longnan Xiangyu Olive Oil Development Co., Ltd. stood out from 430 samples from 17 countries and won the double gold medal of the competition.
The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped Longnan Olive Oil's "trip abroad". In August last year, 1.2 tons of olive oil produced in Longnan were exported to South Korea. In March this year, Uruguayan Ambassador to China Fernando Lugris and his party visited Longnan. The two sides reached a consensus to carry out pragmatic cooperation in the introduction of olive oil seeds, talent exchanges, and technical training.
At present, a number of olive oil production enterprises in Wudu District are cooperating with foreign countries in the bio-utilization of olive oil. Bai Xiaoyong, chairman of Longnan Tianyuan Olive Oil Technology Development Co., Ltd., introduced that olive oil leaves are rich in compounds such as oleuropeins and flavonoids, which are valuable raw materials for drugs and health care products. They collaborated with the University of Athens in Greece to extract and utilize compounds to increase the added value of the olive oil industry.
"The olive tree was introduced from abroad and took root in China, building a bridge of exchanges and cooperation between the East and the West." Jiang Chengying, a researcher at the Gansu Academy of Forestry Sciences, said.