China News Service, Yuxi, Yunnan, October 5th (Shi Wenzhi, Wang Jin) During the National Day holiday, we walked into the 10,000-acre jasmine field in Lijiang Street, Yuanjiang County, Yuxi City, Yunnan Province. The branches were covered with white and plump flower buds. Dozens of flower farmers shuttled among them, skillfully picking fresh and tender flower buds, and their movements were skillful, busy and orderly. "Since the beginning of autumn, the production and sales of jasmine are still booming, so we don't have to worry about selling at all," said flower farmer Li Xiangao.
Flower farmers pick jasmine flowers in the flower field. Photo by Zhou Kui
Yuanjiang County is located in a hot dry valley area. It is one of the main jasmine producing areas in the country and the largest jasmine planting base in Yunnan Province. Relying on the climate advantage of the dry-hot valley, the jasmine grown locally has the characteristics of the earliest flowering, the longest flowering period and the highest yield. Its volatile aromatic components are about 15% higher than those in other producing areas. The county currently has a jasmine planting area of 11,400 acres and more than 4,000 flower farmers. It has formed a multi-link collaborative system of planting, processing, and sales, which continues to increase the income of flower farmers and make them rich.
Compared with the fiery harvesting in the fields, the acquisition market is equally lively. At the jasmine purchasing point, groups of flower farmers came to sell freshly picked jasmine flowers one after another. Buyers from all over the country priced and weighed the flowers according to the market conditions of the day. The transactions were orderly.
According to statistics, since the local jasmine market opened for purchase in mid-March this year, the average daily flower transaction volume has stabilized at more than 27 tons, and the highest single-day transaction volume can reach 70 tons. The average flower purchase price is 21.99 yuan/kg, and the highest price has reached 50 yuan/kg. The market conditions are gratifying.
"Yuanjiang's jasmine flowers not only have a long flowering period, are of good quality, but also have stable prices, and are favored by purchasers from all over the world." Purchaser Li Jungang said that as jasmine flowers in other domestic production areas have declined, more and more peers have chosen to purchase in Yuanjiang.
To stabilize specialty industries, improving quality and efficiency is the key. Since this year, the county has launched a special plan to improve the quality and efficiency of jasmine, systematically deploying it from aspects such as variety management and protection, field management, and quality improvement to promote the transformation of the jasmine industry from "scale expansion" to "quality improvement."
Agricultural technicians went deep into the flower fields to check the growth of jasmine flowers. Photo by Zhou Kui
In addition to providing guidance and training on green and simple jasmine planting techniques, local agricultural technicians continue to work on the front lines in the fields, regularly carry out monitoring and early warning of jasmine pests and diseases, and provide door-to-door technical assistance and planting guidance to flower farmers, promote green prevention and control technologies, and scientifically control field diseases and pests.
"Thanks to the technicians' on-site guidance, this year's jasmine flowers are white and of high quality. They can be sold on the same day they are picked. There is no worry about sales and stable income," said local flower farmer Bai Zhengchang.
Ma Yunfei, deputy director of the Planting Industry Development Service Center of the Yuanjiang County Agricultural and Rural Affairs Bureau, said that in the next step, the company will continue to do a good job in the autumn management and protection, green prevention and control and quality improvement of jasmine, seize the blank period of the autumn market, strengthen the jasmine brand building, extend the industrial chain, enhance the value chain, and empower rural revitalization with characteristic industries. (over)
