Shandong apple industry park celebrates bumper harvest

Editor's note: Shandong province in East China has cultivated a range of well-known brands across several sectors including manufacturing, tourism, culture, agriculture and food. The "Friendly Shandong, Remarkable Shandong" brand strategy has increasingly become a key engine for driving the province's high-quality growth. China Daily is publishing a series of stories to display various renowned brands, specialties and handicrafts in Shandong. 

The Yingjuyuan Modern Apple Industry Park – located in Weihai city's Lin'gang district in East China's Shandong province – is currently experiencing a bumper harvest in its sprawling 1,400-mu (93.33 hectares) of apple orchards.

Bright red apples now adorn branches in the Yingjuyuan Modern Apple Industry Park. [Photo by Yang Yan for chinadaily.com.cn]

In recent years, Lin'gang district has upgraded various aspects of its apple industry supply chain – including storage, packaging, deep processing and logistics – with the focus on advancing modern apple cultivation techniques to increase commodity prices and enhance the overall product quality.

This comprehensive approach is said to not only lower production costs but also increases the value of the product – involving farmers in different stages of the industry supply chain, from planting to processing and distribution.

Thanks to the initiative, Yingjuyuan apples have quickly become firm favorites with customers, with suppliers securing pre-orders well before the harvest.

Most notably, the Yingjuyuan Modern Apple Industry Park has strategically leased 3,000 mu of land in seven neighboring villages.

During the picking season, nearly 180 farmhands find employment close to home, with over 50 individuals engaged in daily maintenance activities.

The result is a substantial annual gain of over 6,000 yuan ($828) in income per person, transforming these small apples into a source of increased income and prosperity for the community. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)