Shandong county leads chestnut industry

In Xuezhuang town, known as the "hometown of Chinese chestnuts", the chestnut industry has been thriving, with over 100,000 acres (approximately 6,666.67 hectares) of chestnut plantations and specialized planting villages.

A farmer from Xuezhuang town, Feixian county, East China's Shandong province, proudly displays his freshly harvested chestnuts. [Photo by Xiao Xian for chinadaily.com.cn]

With the implementation of the "Party branch + cooperative + farmers" model, led by a chestnut cooperative, the town has seen an increase in income per person exceeding 8,000 yuan ($1,127.58) annually.

Qingshanyu village has a chestnut plantation area of over 3,000 acres and has achieved a chestnut output value of more than 6 million yuan.

This success can be attributed to a secure market and abundant harvest, which has enabled nearby food processing companies to purchase chestnut deep-processing technology.

This has stimulated the chestnut industry for over 1,000 households by establishing facilities such as cold storage and processing laboratories. These companies process an average of 2,000 tons of chestnuts annually, contributing to an output value of 30 million yuan.

To further develop the agricultural product industrial chain, Xuezhuang town has embraced agricultural tourism and focused on deep-processing chestnuts and edible mushrooms. They have utilized modern agricultural industrial parks and rural accommodation clusters, intending to strengthen leading enterprises, complete the industrial chain, and lead to clustering effects.

With annual chestnut production exceeding 30,000 metric tons and a comprehensive output value of 200 million yuan, this initiative has benefited 12,000 chestnut farmers, resulting in increased income and prosperity. (Edited by He Yuge)