Jinan Times APP:

Guangxi has a wide variety of fruits throughout the four seasons, especially mangoes, dragon fruits and other high-quality fruits that are abundantly produced and affordable. Many netizens say that they can enjoy "fruit freedom" in Guangxi. My question is how does Guangxi develop fruit and other special agricultural industries? Thank you.

Lan Tianli:

Thank you for your question. I would like to invite Mr. Xu to answer it.

Xu Yongke:

Thank you for your attention to Guangxi's agriculture. Good mountains and good water nurture good products. Guangxi is one of the few regions in China that is suitable for comprehensive development in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishing. Based on our resource endowment, we have developed six 100-billion-yuan level characteristic agricultural industries including grain, sugar, fruit, vegetables, livestock and poultry, and fisheries. This has not only contributed to the stable production and supply of important agricultural products nationwide but also provided solid support for continuously consolidating and expanding achievements in poverty alleviation and comprehensively promoting rural revitalization. In 2023, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in Guangxi was 18,656 yuan, an increase of 7% year-on-year, which was 3 percentage points higher than that of urban residents. The per capita disposable income of farmers in areas that had been lifted out of poverty was 16,914 yuan, an increase of 12.5% year-on-year.

Now, I will focus on the development of three industries.

We work hard to strengthen the fruit industry. Guangxi has a large-scale fruit industry with a great variety of fruits. Subtropical fruits such as litchi and longan are very common. Traditional fruits in northern China such as persimmons and pears are also widely grown here. There are nearly 300 varieties of fruits, with seasonal fruits becoming available every month. Mr. Lan has just mentioned that last year our fruit output was 33.89 million tons, accounting for about one-eighth of the national total. In addition, more than half of the fruits from ASEAN countries, such as durian and mangosteen, which are widely popular among Chinese consumers, are imported through Guangxi. We are currently accelerating the building of the China-ASEAN Fruit Trading Center to better promote the export of apples, citrus and other fruits and the import of tropical fruits.

We strive to promote the sugar industry. Guangxi has ranked first in the country when it comes to sugarcane planting acreage and sugar production for 33 consecutive years. We always adhere to the special mission of ensuring the country's sugar security, making every effort to stabilize the planting area while also striving to promote scientific and technological innovation in the sugar industry. The self-bred sugarcane varieties such as Guitang 42 and Guitang 44 have superior performance indicators, such as high yield and high sugar content, compared to the original imported varieties. We are committed to building high-quality and high-yield sugarcane bases that plant sugarcanes with high sugar content. Our goal is to create protection zones for sugarcane planting and facilitate the transition of the traditional sugar industry toward biochemical industry, food industry and the fermentation industry. Our "sweet business" is continuously progressing and improving.

We are dedicated to strengthening the vegetable industry. Guangxi, often referred to as a "natural green greenhouse," is the largest production base for autumn and winter vegetables in China. We actively promote the standardized development of vegetable cultivation, both in facility-based and park-based settings, and prioritize the establishment of cold storage, warehousing, sorting and distribution centers. These efforts position us as a significant hub for transporting "southern vegetables to the north" and "western vegetables to the east". Last year, Guangxi produced over 40 million tonnes of vegetables, with over 10 million tonnes being transported to other regions. Hezhou city, adjacent to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), supplies approximately 70% of the vegetables to the GBA market each year.

Next, we will continue to leverage our unique resources, such as forestry, fruit, vegetables, livestock and sugar, to develop modern special agriculture, providing more high-quality specialized agricultural products while ensuring the wider recognition of the "Guangxi brand" across the country

Thank you.