"China: "Early harvest thanks to controlled blueberry production"

"The main Chinese blueberry production areas are on the coast of the Yellow Sea, Dongbei and Yunnan. Our blueberry supply period is from April until July. This year's price is similar to last year's. Because the production quantity has increased, our sales have doubled," says Mr. Zhang Weiguo from Jiangsu Richland Group Co., Ltd.

"Our company is located in the Ganyu District of Lianyungang, Jiangsu, at 35° northern latitude. It is the most southern area of the coast of the Yellow Sea. In 2010, we started tree planting. By 10 June 2017, we had ten large scale plantations, with a total of 600 hectares (6000 mu). The main breeds that we work with are Duke, Bluecrop, Brigitta, and Legacy. All of our excellent blueberries are sold under our famous brand "Bluebaby". They are sold through traditional sales channels to supermarkets, e-commerce platforms and fruit stores in almost 20 middle and large scale cities in China."

"Our plantations are located by one of the country's drinking water reservoirs. We are using Israeli technology to manage our harvest throughout the entire plantation, to make sure that the trees are irrigated enough every day. This means that our trees are not influenced a lot by the weather. From 2015, we have worked to establish greenhouses, so we can advance the fruiting season of blueberries to the beginning of April. We currently have already established around 100 hectares (1000 mu) of greenhouses."

"For years, we have been working together with research institutes, such as the Jingnan Fruit Research Institute and the Nanjing Forestry University. Simultaneously, we are doing research on practical technologies, for example, to keep blueberries fresh in storage, and to breed new varieties of blueberries."

"Currently, we mainly sell fresh and frozen blueberries. In order to continue advancing the fruiting season at our plantations, by the end of 2016, we have invested 100 million yuan to launch the "Blueberry Production Line Program". This program includes blueberry juicing, packaging, blueberry powder production, anthocyanin extraction, and anthocyanin supplements. After establishing this program, we will be able to provide even more products, such as blueberry juice, blueberry drinks, dried blueberries, and anthocyanin extracts. This will raise the added value of fresh blueberries, increase our competitiveness in the industry, and help us to reach our strategic goals in the blueberry supply chain."

Zhang Weiguo

Website: www.richlandsfarm.com

Phone: +86 518 8698 3333
Phone: +86 137 5085 5088

WeChat: richlandsfarm