Shandong cultivates new apple variety to boost sales

East China's Shandong province is making every effort to cultivate more apple varieties and boost their sales through live-streaming.

Ian has a long history of planting apples, which were introduced into the region in 1871 by an American missionary.

Its prefecture-level city of Yantai has a long history of planting apples, which were introduced into the region in 1871 by an American missionary. It is now renowned for its Fuji apples, particularly the Red Fuji variety, which has become synonymous with high-quality apples in China.

In western Yantai, farmers in county-level city Zhaoyuan are utilizing new technologies to cultivate "Snow Apple" — a late-ripening strain of Red Fuji — to be harvested around the solar term of Lesser Snow in the Chinese lunar calendar to secure a good price.

Empowered by technology, the "Snow Apple" has become a treasure in the snow and a path to wealth, said Wang Longfei, a local resident, noting that it is not an ordinary variety, but a crystallization of the wisdom of fruit farmers in Fushan town and the natural rhythm.

With "Snow Apple" undergoing the baptism of wind and snow, the severe cold does not diminish its quality, but accelerates the condensation of sugar, making its color more vibrant and its aroma more intense, he said.

He noted that Fushan town, bolstering its "Technology+" integration model, is betting big on characteristic agriculture to drive its agricultural industrial and empower rural vitalization.

At the orchard of Yin Xuemin, a large-scale fruit grower, Yin often leaves some apples on the trees until the heavy snow season comes every year to meet the need of high-end buyers and use this unique scenario to exchange planting techniques with his peers.

"The price of good apples is always rising, and the key is to produce and manage high-quality fruits well," he said.

Wang stressed that Fushan is also using live-streaming as a "fast lane" in assisting farmers, in that it can act as a direct connection bridging production and sales. Currently, the entire town has established e-commerce service stations and organized multiple live-streaming events to promote agricultural products, he said.

In front of cameras, the hosts show off the "Snow Apple", explaining its growth story and unique quality, inviting buyers nationwide for a taste.

Live-streaming not only helps sell products but also create job opportunities, Wang said, adding that the villagers are able to earn a stable income from working in the orchard right outside their homes, achieving a goal of "making money and taking care of the family at the same time."

Wang added that Fushan town is also seamlessly integrating agriculture with tourism to win more visitors coming to enjoy the beautiful farm scenes and buy more products.

Please contact the writer at yinmingyue@chinadaily.com.cn