In the early autumn, yunnan's apples were sweet first。
The day was bright, and the market for apples in zhaoyang, zhao tong city, was flourishing, bringing together guests from all over the country to fight for pre-cooked and high-quality apples. It is now the best meal time for a “red-loose” apple, with a price of $9 per kilogram for high-quality commodity fruit。
The zhaoyang region is the largest county (district) apple-producing area in the south of the country, with an area of over 730,000 acres grown throughout the region in 2025, yielding 1. 15 million tons annually and a combined product of 13. 5 billion yuan。
Don't look at the size of the industry. For a long time, “cooky apples can't be sold at a good price” is a common challenge for local farmers。
“the fruit could have been sold only for two or three dollars per kilogram, and the small fruit could not have been sold.” liu yang yong, a member of the professional cooperative of sugar growers in zoyang district, said that in the past, cutting and fertilizer had been done with experience and prices had fluctuated with fruit quality。
“applications are not grown, but are grown according to market demand and according to brand standards.” liu yang said that in order to grow good fruit, local fruit farmers had established cooperatives to invite technicians to the countryside at key nodes of fruit tube protection, to direct scientific fertilization, pest control and standardized cutting. In view of the increased efficiency of cultivation, cooperative members have grown from 5 to nearly 80 households, with many becoming “earth experts”。
The cotton orchard is steadily iterative and the scale base is upgraded more rapidly. Since 2018, zhao thong has been moving land beyond the agricultural company ltd., building 100,000 acres of high-standard technology integrated apple pyrotechnic demonstration gardens, with integrated management of hydrofertilizers, and the application of artificially assisted pollination techniques to the system, resulting in a double increase in production and quality, with the single price of apples at around $10 per kilogram。
Cultivation patterns have been upgraded and the variety structure is being optimized simultaneously. In the past, the red fuji family was unique, concentrated in maturity and placed on the market for ease of movement. Today, the apple industrial development centers at the municipal and district levels, based on the stabilization of traditional varieties, are promoting early and late ripen varieties such as the qin cricket, which are gradually growing in their listing cycles and allowing different quality products to match different sub-markets。
How do you sell it? Smart selection is key. In yongfeng town, zhaoyang district, the smart apple spectroline, built with co-financing, is used as a model for a grade premium, with an average of one dollar more per kilogram, with an increase of only 0. 2。
The premium from grading is significant. “the new varieties like qin cream are under-marketed and have high management standards, with a price of about $16 per kilogram for ordinary fruit and close to $30 for fine box fruit.” zhao tung went beyond wang heung peng, deputy general manager of agriculture limited。
The quality is steady and the brand is slowly breaking out. "in the early years, many people didn't know zhaoyang's apple." liu yang stated that the cooperative had created a new path for the electrician and registered its own trademark, with 2. 5 kg of small packaging fruit, which was offered directly to consumers at a more affordable price and received a good taste for returning visitors。
Business goesBranding, channeled routes. In a presentation made by the head of the zhao tong group, the shanghai contact group for support to executives of shanghai city, the shanghai channel and experience were linked to yunnan's resources to facilitate the entry of the brand of zoyang red into the shanghai market, gradually irradiating large-scale businesses in the first-line cities, while helping to sell apples to overseas markets, such as south-east asia and the middle east, with steady growth。
The space for industry value addition continues to expand. The fishing town known as the apple country is the largest apple trading hub in the south-west. This is where more than 500 ancient wills along the river are built to develop their distinctive featuresIntegration of the agro-engineering brigadeBusinesses attract large numbers of tourists, and annual tourism revenues are expected to exceed billions。
The path of appreciation of an apple, the upgrading of the retrofitting industrial chain, is also driving the local populationGrowing wealthI don't know. According to statistics, the apple industry in the zhaoyang district covers 14 of the 19 townships, benefiting 456. 8 million people directly, of whom 72,000 have an average annual income of over $80,000。
