Looking at Xinjiang Along Rivers and Lakes | Located by Water in the Gobi Desert with Melon and Fruit Fragrance

Kashgar, September 6th (Xinhua) - In the golden autumn season, standing at the Fresh Fruit Base of the Zepu County Characteristic Rich People Industrial Park in Kashgar, the reporter saw rows of fruit trees extending into the distance, with apples hanging on the branches, and workers in groups of three or two busy taking care of the work. It's hard to imagine that not long ago, this place was still a vast expanse of Gobi Desert.

The first phase of the fresh fruit base project in Zepu County's characteristic prosperous industrial park has lush fruit trees. Photo by People's Daily reporter Chang Xuemei

How was it achieved to plant fruit trees on the Gobi Desert?

Zhang Guojun, the person in charge of the Fresh Fruit Base of Zepu County's Characteristic Rich People Industrial Park, answered the reporter's question. He introduced, "At the beginning of 2022, the Fresh Fruit Base project was launched, adopting the 'Five News', namely new rootstocks, new varieties, new models, new supports, and new operations, selecting suitable apple varieties, adopting integrated drip irrigation technology of water and fertilizer, hiring experts from Northwest A&F University for technical guidance, and then forming a professional team for operation. The technical team focuses on the daily management of fruit trees, technical workers are divided into sections for management, unified agricultural production input, unified technical management measures, unified picking and sales, and unified brand operation, to create the Jinfengze Pu Fresh Fruit brand."

This year, Zepu County has expanded and constructed an additional 5000 acres of fresh fruit base project on the basis of the original 5000 acres of characteristic enriching industrial park. Nowadays, thousands of acres of fresh fruit orchards are laid out on the Gobi Desert, effectively playing a role in wind prevention and soil stabilization, and continuously improving the ecological environment.

Apples are already hanging on the branches and will mature by the end of October. Photo by People's Daily reporter Chang Xuemei

With ecological benefits, economic benefits also follow. Zhang Guojun further introduced, "Under the condition of integrated water and fertilizer, fruit trees can achieve partial results in the second year, with a yield of over 500 kilograms per mu in the third year, over 2 tons per mu in the fourth year, and a high yield of 4 tons per mu in the fifth year, achieving an annual output value of over 400 million yuan."

Planting fruit trees on the Gobi Desert bears the brunt of water use issues. Aihemaiti Aihaiti, Secretary of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the Water Resources Bureau of Zepu County, introduced that Zepu County will further strengthen water-saving measures such as agricultural irrigation through the water-saving transformation of key irrigation projects and the construction of field water-saving projects. It is expected that by 2023, an additional 10.33 million cubic meters of water will be saved, and the remaining water can be used for the development of characteristic fresh fruit industries and ecological replenishment.

The integrated drip irrigation technology of water and fertilizer can greatly save water consumption. Photo by People's Daily reporter Chang Xuemei

Aihemaiti Aihaiti calculated an account for the reporter: "Previously, the method of flood irrigation was used, with about 800 cubic meters of water used per mu of land. The fresh fruit base undergoes 19 drip irrigation times a year, and flood irrigation twice in spring and winter, with about 450 cubic meters of water used per mu of land, which is about half of the previous method."

In addition, the fresh fruit base adopts the operation mode of state-owned companies+forestry and fruit technology cooperatives, effectively playing the role of village cooperation and benefiting agriculture. The fixed assets and biological assets formed by the project, totaling 1.356 million yuan, have been quantified and confirmed to 42 weak collective economy villages, supporting and strengthening the collective economy of villages. We will also provide stable employment for over 200 farmers and temporary employment for over 4000 people.

Hu Jimaimaimaiti Tursun, a nearby villager, started working at the fresh fruit base in April last year, mainly responsible for the management of fruit trees. He is very satisfied with his current job and income: "I earn 2700 yuan per month, and I also manage lunch. The most important thing is that I can learn skills here. I hope to contract 100 acres of land to grow apples in the future."

The once barren Gobi Desert has now become a thriving economic forest belt, not only playing a role in windbreak and soil stabilization, but also providing employment opportunities for the people. Using water to determine the location has always been practiced here.