Fresh seasonal fruits are fragrant, and the "fruit plate" brings vitality to summer
As summer temperatures continue to rise, the "cool economy" has stimulated consumer vitality. Among various cooling products, seasonal fruits such as lychees, cherries, and watermelons that cool down and relieve heat have become consumers' favorites.
With the gradual arrival of seasonal fruits, the small "fruit plate" has quietly become a powerful engine for rural revitalization.
"Stable supply and sufficient output are important reasons for consumers to achieve 'fruit freedom'," said Li Chun, a researcher at the China Social and Economic Statistics Research Center and a professor at the School of Statistics at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.
In recent years, all localities have attached great importance to the development of the fruit industry, combined with local characteristics, actively developed the economic fruit forest industry, released rural economic vitality, and promoted rural revitalization.
Relying on the warm climate characteristics of the subtropical river valley, Faqir Town, Shuicheng District, Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province has vigorously developed the high-quality fruit industry and established a bayberry planting base of more than 5,000 acres. Many tourists also come here to "smell the bayberry" and come to experience the joy of picking and taste the freshness of the bayberry just off the branches.
According to Dong Chaoyang, member of the Party Committee and deputy mayor of Faer Town, "Faer Town has planted more than 5,300 mu of bayberry, covering more than 1,600 farmers. The bayberry in Faer Town has full flesh and delicious taste. Everyone is welcome to come and pick and taste it."
In addition, Teng County, Wuzhou City, Guangxi Province relies on local natural resources to develop specialty fruit industries such as Sanhua plum, lychee, and Sanhong honey pomelo in accordance with local conditions, injecting "sweet" power into rural revitalization.
Expanding sales channels: "new farmers" equipped with "technological wings"
"Good fruit quality" and "high yield" are the basic conditions for turning "small fruits" into "fruits of wealth", and "being able to sell" and "being able to deliver" are also important factors in activating the "big industry".
In midsummer June, Ningxia welcomes the annual harvest season for the first batch of wolfberries. From the traditional way of eating wolfberries in a thermos cup to the research and development and market launch of new products such as wolfberry puree and fresh wolfberries... In the laboratory, technological innovation has given Ningxia's "local specialty" wolfberries more new forms. On the online platform, different types of wolfberry products have attracted enthusiastic orders from consumers from all over the world.
With the development of technology, the traditional fruit sales model is changing. The live broadcast room is "transformed" into a large product market, which is a hot new way of playing nowadays.
Not only the sales model, but also the efficiency of fruit transportation has reached a higher level through technological innovation. Wuzhong, Jiangsu Province explored the use of drones to solve the problem of fruit transportation, and delivered fresh fruits to consumers' tables in the fastest and most convenient way.
"This not only broadens the sales channels for fruits, but also increases the visibility and reputation of local fruit brands, creating a smart method for sustainable development of the 'fruit plate'," said Li Chun.
Expanding imports to “fruit plates” to accommodate the world’s flavors
The continuous increase in fruit imports reflects the increasing consumption level of our country's residents. The Chinese market continues to expand the scale of imports, allowing the "fruit plate" to accommodate the flavors of the world.
The "fruit economy" is booming, and the interaction between the domestic and international fruit industries is becoming more frequent. According to customs statistics, my country's imports of dried and fresh fruits and vegetables amounted to 3.22 billion yuan in 2023.
In recent years, Chilean cherries with ruddy color and sweet taste have won the favor of Chinese consumers, and China's imports of Chilean cherries have shown a significant growth trend. Data shows that as of mid-February 2024, Chile exported about 412,900 tons of cherries to the world, of which more than 90% were exported to China, setting a record high.
Not long ago, the official website of the General Administration of Customs issued a notice stating that the import of fresh Serbian blueberries that meet relevant requirements will be allowed. As one of the largest blueberry producers in Europe, Serbia has "rolled" into the Chinese market, bringing higher cost-effectiveness to Chinese consumers.
Li Chun said that as my country's market continues to open up, more and more high-quality imported fruit and fresh products will appear on people's tables at lower prices.
