Shandong village boosts development of grape industry

Xinliuzhuang village in Shandong province's Feixian county has in recent years taken major steps to boost the development of its grape industry with the support of the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

A volunteer provides guidance on scientific planting techniques to fruit farmers in Xinliuzhuang village, Feixian county, East China's Shandong province. [Photo by Cui Fang for chinadaily.com.cn]

To enhance grape cultivation, Zhang Qingtian, a technology expert, took the initiative to create high-standard grape greenhouses for Xinliuzhuang village.

To date, 2.4 million yuan ($335,877.11) has been spent on building 120 greenhouses on 50 mu (3.33 hectares) of leased land. These greenhouses have since introduced new grape varieties such as "sunshine rose," "nina queen," and "nantaihu extra early".

The harvest this year is expected to be 1,500 kilograms per mu.

The positive developments in Xinliuzhuang village have also had a ripple effect on the surrounding areas. A grape union cooperative society, consisting of 23 professional grape planting cooperatives, has been established.

This cooperative effort has facilitated the sharing of grape planting technology and supply and marketing resources, resulting in an output of 25 million kg this year. Moreover, this collaboration has contributed to the overall improvement in grape quality and efficiency within the industry. (Edited by He Yuge)