***Apple industry production status and development strategies
*** is located in eastern Gansu, at the western foot of Ziwu Mountains. It borders Shaanxi Huangling to the east, Bin County and Xunyi to the south, Changwu to the west, and Ning County of this province to the north. The county has jurisdiction over 10 towns, 111 administrative villages, 695 villager groups, 51,900 households, 233,700 people, a total area of ??1.979 million acres, and 430,000 acres of cultivated land. The county's average altitude is 1,460 meters, the average temperature is 8.3°C, the average annual rainfall is 630 mm, and the frost-free period is about 180 days. The temperature difference between day and night is large and the natural conditions are superior. It is a dry plateau agricultural county with obvious regional characteristics. It is the best suitable area for apple cultivation and has a long history of apple cultivation.
1. Current status of apple production
In recent years, *** has been based on county conditions, adapted to local conditions, and closely focused on the overall goal of “promoting fruit, enriching people, and strengthening the county” to make full use of resources. Advantages, pay close attention to increasing the scale of planting, strengthen management and increase efficiency, making apple production a new economic growth point in the county. The county's orchard area reaches 150,000 acres, including 118,000 acres of apples, accounting for 78.6% of the total area. Due to the improvement of management level and apple quality year by year, the fruit quality rate and household sales rate have also been greatly improved, reaching 60 and 75 respectively. The Red Fuji apples produced won the gold medal at the Provincial Forest and Fruit Products Fair for two consecutive years in 1996 and 1997. The Qinguan apple won the "Huludao Cup" gold medal in the national apple appraisal in 1998. The Changfu No. 2 apple won the national award in 2000. Won first place at the Quality Products Expo. Zhengning apples, named after the "Longmi" brand, have gained a certain reputation throughout the province and even across the country. In 2005, the county's apple output reached 24 million kilograms, with an output value of 210,000 yuan. The total fruit output value accounted for 18% of the county's total agricultural output value. The county has established 15 collective, individual and private processing enterprises, processing 150 tons of various fruits annually, adding a processing value of 2.5 million yuan, realizing profits and taxes of 750,000 yuan, and building 20 fruit warehouses of more than 50 tons, 30 fruit warehouses of 30 tons, and 10 fruit warehouses. There are 86 ton fruit warehouses and 1,460 small fruit cellars, with an annual storage capacity of 4 million kilograms and an added value of more than 700,000 yuan. 21 fruit shops and 39 fruit transportation and sales teams have been established, with an annual transportation and sales of 6 million kilograms of fruits and a tax revenue of more than 2.1 million yuan.
2. Problems in apple production
1. The management level is relatively low. Zhengning's economy is backward, farmers' living standards are low, some fruit farmers have limited income, investment in orchards is obviously insufficient, and management is not in place. Most orchard fruit trees grow slowly, produce little or no fruit, and have a small number of commercial fruits, which directly affects the orchards. benefit. For example, after investigation, some orchard households with extensive unfruitful orchards have not yet solved their food and clothing problems, let alone investing in and managing their orchards. Li Suihu, a fruit farmer in Yonghe Town, built a 6-acre garden in 1999. He has not yet seen a penny of income and his life is very difficult.
2. The promotion of high and new technologies lags behind. Due to factors such as capital and technology, some famous new varieties and high technologies cannot be introduced in time, and the testing, demonstration, and promotion of scientific research projects are restricted, which seriously restricts Zhengning apple production from moving to a high level. High-tech technologies such as real-life bottling and biological insect control have not yet been fully promoted to all orchards.
3. The pace of industrialization needs to be accelerated urgently. The internal quality of Zhengning apples is at a superior level domestically, and the gap between it and the international market is not large. However, the appearance and packaging quality still lag far behind those in the main producing areas of Shandong and Liaoning and abroad. The rate of high-quality products is low, less than One-third of foreign countries, especially post-production processing and processing and storage links, are weak. A series of post-production processing technologies such as post-production disinfection, cleaning, grading, waxing, packaging, refrigeration and sales are still in the blank, seriously affecting the storage life of fruits. , shelf life and value-added efficiency. For example, Japan has not yet built a large-scale modern fruit processing factory and fruit preservation storage warehouse, and the post-production processing of fruits is still in its infancy.
4. The variety structure needs to be further optimized.
Zhengning uses late-ripening red Fuji as its main variety, with fewer other early- and medium-ripening varieties. The proportion of fresh fruits and processed varieties is out of balance, which does not meet the market's four-season needs and the requirements for multi-variety development. There are few updated varieties and low coverage of excellent varieties. For example, after investigation, 70% of the orchard varieties in the county are mainly Changfu 2 and Qiufu 1, with Qinguan and Xinhongxing also accounting for a certain proportion. The early-maturing variety Royal Gala and the processed variety Granny Smith account for a very small proportion, less than 5.
5. ***’s financial resources are weak and it is difficult to obtain funds. There is a serious lack of investment in the apple industry, especially the lack of scientific research funds and material investment, which have affected and restricted the rapid development of the county's fruit industry. After investigation, county and township finances have invested very little in the apple industry, less than 100,000 yuan per year, which basically has no effect.
3. Main countermeasures and measures to develop apple production
(1) Development ideas
Market-oriented, benefit-centered, highlighting Loess Plateau apples Planting regional advantages, adhering to the path of sustainable development, relying on science and technology, adjusting layout, optimizing structure, highlighting characteristics, cultivating brands, focusing on scientific management of orchards, promoting pollution-free and green fruit production technical standards, vigorously promoting new technologies and new varieties, Use multiple business models to establish bases, cultivate leading enterprises, support large processing, storage, transportation and marketing companies, accelerate the industrialization process of apple production, and ultimately achieve "non-toxic seedlings, excellent varieties, rational layout, technical standardization, and fruit safety" , operation integration, service facilitation”.
(2) Development Goals
On the basis of the existing 100,000 acres of apples, the county will develop 20,000 acres of apples every year starting from 2006, striving to increase the apple area within 5 years. With an additional 100,000 acres, the county's cumulative apple area has reached 200,000 acres, with total output reaching 90 million kilograms and total output value reaching 150 million yuan.
(3) Development Measures
***Apple production must follow the new requirements of industrial development, seize the historical opportunity of the Western Development, and make timely adjustments based on market demand and resource conditions. layout, accelerate development, strive to increase commodity market share and economic growth rate, and strive to build a new pattern of apple industry construction with the market as the leader, the leader leading the base, the base connecting farmers, and one-stop production, processing, supply and marketing. To this end, we believe that the following points should be paid attention to:
1. Strengthen organizational leadership and form a joint force for construction. Governments at all levels must strengthen their leadership in the industrialization of apples. Apple, as the country's main pillar industry, must strengthen leadership in all aspects of planting, management, marketing, and processing. The government should take the lead in strengthening strategic research on the apple industry. Long-term planning is required for development and the industrialization process should be accelerated. It is necessary to widen channels, set up more windows, open up markets, increase publicity efforts, and increase visibility. Instead of waiting for customers to attract business and attract customers, mutual benefit and credibility should be emphasized. The whole county sings the "one opera" of prospering fruits, enriching people, and strengthening the county. new construction pattern.
2. Reasonable industrial layout and adjust variety structure. It is necessary to select suitable varieties according to the natural conditions of Zhengning, and continue to follow the development pattern of "three belts, one area and one district". The northern plateau will focus on the construction of key villages and large-scale areas, and the southern plateau fruit belt will continue to expand its scale, striving to be in the "Tenth Five-Year Plan". "By the end of the period, a 100,000-acre high-quality apple base with regional scale advantages will be quickly built. At the same time, adjustments should be made to target the market, the existing area of ??Red Fuji should be stabilized, and bases for other famous, high-quality, special and new varieties should be developed. Whether the variety is suitable or not will play a long-term and decisive role in the future yield, quality and efficiency of apples. Based on the analysis of current and future market conditions, the ideal mix ratio of early, medium and late maturing varieties is 1:5:14. This ratio is conducive to complete pollination of apples, ensuring the diversity of high-quality apples, extending the time to market, and fully ensuring market demand. For old varieties of apple orchards that lack competitiveness, suffer from serious pests and diseases, and have poor economic returns, we are determined to replace them with good ones. The preferred varieties should be Royal Gala, Yanfu 1, Yanfu 2, New World, etc. Its characteristics are strong tree vigor, easy flowering, early fruiting, high fruit setting rate, high yield, stable yield, bright fruit color and fragrant taste, and the maturity period is the off-season of melons and fruits, and the price is higher than that of Red Fuji. It has a higher reputation in the market. Strong competitiveness.
We must be market-oriented and do everything possible to introduce and promote new high-quality apple varieties. We must take the initiative in time, lead in varieties, and be ahead in awareness. We must adhere to the policy of equal emphasis on introduction, selection, and breeding, and constantly add new varieties. resources, to produce one generation, reserve one generation, select and breed one generation, and update the next generation to ensure that the apples produced can win with excellence, expand sales with excellence, occupy the market with excellence, and increase product visibility.
3. Actively promote practical technologies and implement excellent results strategies. Our county is a dry farming area, and drought is the main factor restricting fruit yield and quality. Therefore, drought-resistant farming measures must be adopted to adjust and meet the water needs of apple trees. Generally, three measures can be taken: (1) Protect soil moisture in the garden. Maintain soil moisture through measures such as harrowing in early spring, cultivating in summer, and deep plowing in late autumn and early winter. Moisture can also be protected by covering with mulch, weeds, straw, and green grass. (2) Improve the water absorption and drought resistance of the tree itself through reasonable fertilization, adjustment of tree structure, and adjustment of fruit tree load. (3) Carry out reasonable irrigation according to the water demand of fruit trees in different growing seasons and the amount of natural precipitation to meet the water needs of fruit trees.
To implement the excellent fruit strategy, five measures must be taken: (1) Reasonable load. According to relevant factors such as the age, growth potential, and variety characteristics of fruit trees, the fruit amount is reasonably adjusted to achieve the goals of stable, high yield, and high quality. (2) Thin flowers and fruits. In accordance with the principle of "artificially thinning buds first, then thinning flowers, and then setting fruits", the flower and fruit thinning measures were implemented. After overcoming "big and small years", the fruit setting rate and fruit quality were improved. (3) Pick leaves and turn fruits. In early September, moderately remove the light-shielding leaves around the fruit and turn the direction of the fruit to promote full coloration of the fruit, improve fruit quality, and increase commercial value. (4) Fruit bagging. After the flower and fruit thinning work is completed, fruit bagging can be implemented in a timely manner to prevent pests and birds, reduce pesticide residues, promote fruit coloring, increase sugar content, and improve commodity value. (5) Spray trace elements. By spraying calcium, iron, boron, zinc, copper and other trace elements on the leaves, we can promote the normal growth and development of fruit trees and comprehensively improve fruit quality.
4. Strengthen team building and improve the service system. It is necessary to intensify the promotion of science and technology. We should improve the service network at the county, township and village levels as soon as possible. We should optimize and improve the county level, focus on improving the township level, popularize the village level, establish various forms of fruit growers' associations, and build a service system that links up and down and connects left and right. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the training of technical teams at all levels, especially to pay close attention to the technical training of farmers, comprehensively promote the professional, programmed, and standardized orchard management system, implement formula fertilization, water-saving irrigation, and ensure the growth of grass and thinning of flowers in orchards. Advanced technologies such as fruit thinning, single fruit management, yield restriction and quality improvement, leaf picking and fruit transfer, staged harvesting, chemical regulation, and biological insect control.
5. Cultivate leading enterprises and accelerate the formation of industrial chains. Constructing a dragon-shaped economy is the key to industrialization, but the dragon-shaped economy must be driven by leading enterprises. To this end, we must focus on the market, focus on cultivating leading enterprises as a breakthrough in industrialization construction, and form an economic chain for fruit industrialization driven by leading enterprises. The first is to establish a circulation enterprise with fruit sales as the leader. Establish a *** Apple Development Group Company to link up with the market and farmers downstairs, sign production and marketing contracts with fruit farmers in the form of company base farmers, bring the fruits produced by fruit farmers into the market in a timely manner, and organize and supply the production materials urgently needed by fruit farmers in a timely manner. It enables enterprises and fruit farmers to form a close alliance of "no risk sharing and no sharing of benefits" to completely solve the problem of fruit sales. The second is to establish a development enterprise focusing on fruit storage and processing. Efforts should be made to establish a fruit storage system with a thousand-ton controlled atmosphere warehouse as the main body and simple cellars and small earth cellars as supplements. The fruit storage capacity reaches 15 million kilograms, achieving peak season storage, off-season sales, adjusting surplus and shortage, and preserving freshness and adding value. At the same time, it is necessary to inspect and demonstrate fruit cleaning, grading, waxing production lines and fruit juice, fruit wine, fruit tea, preserved fruit and other processing production lines to achieve walking on multiple legs, alleviate the contradiction between market supply and demand, and increase revenue in an all-round way.
6. Cultivate the market system and promote the circulation of fruits. To construct a dragon-shaped economy, we must bring products into the general cycle of the market economy and gradually establish and improve the market system. The first is to open up a tangible market.
With the large-scale development of the fruit industry, a number of wholesale sales markets should be established in major fruit production areas such as Yonghe Township, Qiutou Township, and Zhoujiajia Township to provide trading venues for foreign merchants and expand product sales; secondly, develop intangible market. It mainly requires enterprises or consortiums to strive to provide quality services, strengthen product quality supervision and management, pay attention to credibility, and occupy the market with product and service quality. The third is to expand the business network. While giving full play to the main business channels of business departments, we should correctly guide fruit farmers to enter the circulation field, set up various purchasing and marketing organizations, mobilize people from all walks of life with capabilities and expertise to form purchasing and marketing consortiums, and engage in transportation and marketing with thousands of troops to promote the fruit industry. The development of commodity economy.
7. Draw on advanced experience and formulate incentive policies. First, we must make full use of preferential policies such as the development of the western region, the construction of old areas, and poverty alleviation and development, especially the relevant policies in this year’s Central Document No. 1 on encouraging farmers to increase their income, and effectively formulate preferential policies for the development of the global fruit industry to provide apples with Provide policy support for industrial development. The second is to fully seize the favorable opportunity of the country’s cancellation of taxes on agricultural and forestry specialties, increase support for fruit farmers, do everything possible to increase the economic benefits of orchards, and mobilize farmers’ enthusiasm for growing fruits. Third, we must solve the shortage of fruit tree scientific research funds. The county finance department must allocate a certain amount of special funds every year for introduction, seedling breeding, testing, promotion, cultivation, awards, etc., to promote the sustainable and healthy development of the apple industry.