Persimmons, goat milk help county in Shaanxi prosper

Dried persimmons and goat milk are two competitive products which have brought prosperity to local villagers in Fuping county, Shaanxi province, amid the area's poverty alleviation efforts.

Thanks to its location and climate, Fuping county has developed an entire industrial chain for the two products, helping all of the people in the county overcome poverty by the end of 2018.

Fuping county reportedly issued policies in 2018 to develop its own local variety of persimmons. The local government launched subsidies -- 6,000 yuan ($925) per hectare for poor households which planted persimmons, and 4,500 yuan for non-impoverished households.

At present, the county has 24,000 total hectares of persimmons, including 8,600 hectares bearing fruit, with an output value reaching 4 billion yuan. A total of 22 enterprises have obtained certification for local Fuping persimmons.

The persimmon drying season begins every year in late October and continues for 45 days, usually finishing sometime in the middle of December.