Conghua pomelos are entering their harvest season
Judging from the heavy yellow fruit dangling down the trees at pomelo orchards, this year will boast a bountiful harvest.
At his pomelo orchard in Wufeng village of Aotou town in Conghua district of Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, Deng Duanming was busy picking the ripened pomelos. It is the eighth year since he came back to Conghua in 2013 and contracted 130 mu (8.67 hectares) in land for pomelo growing. He said that he is very happy about the harvest this year, which is around 50,000 kilograms, about same as last year's harvest.
Bearing a thick scent of honey, Deng's pomelos taste sweet with a tint of sourness on their first bite. They all have thin skin, which can be easily peeled off by hand. The rich soil, large temperature gap between day and night, abundant sunshine, as well as organic fertilizers have all contributed to the premium quality of the pomelos.
Deng has bred over 1,500 black boned chickens with black feathers in his pomelo orchard, which not only helps to kill pests, but the chicken manure serves as great fertilizer for the pomelo trees. This is an example of circular industrial economy, which yields green agricultural products, profit, and employment opportunities to local villagers.
Deng has long-term cooperations with the town's professional cooperative in selling his pomelos. Through a combined online-offline sales model, efforts are made to introduce Conghua pomelos to outside markets and to boost rural tourism in Conghua through fruit picking tours.
At present, over 500 kilograms of pomelos are sold daily via online platforms. The sales will reach its peak around one week before the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept 21 this year.