The brand was finally unveiled on November 8, 2016, at the first international fruit fair held in Yuncheng city under the slogan "The happy apple." Along with its unique logo, the Wanrong Apple became a focus of attention at the Expo.
Wenlong Jiang, a China Agricultural Brand researcher who contibuted to the design, told a reporter from the Farmers Daily that the 'Happy apple', was a result of studies into consumer perception, competitive demands and the current status of the Wanrong apple industry.
The city of Wanrong is called "the laughing city of China" because of its famous sense of humour and the 'Happy apple' reflects those regional cultural elements.
Why the Wangrong apple has attracted foreign attention?
The Wanrong Apple once represented Shanxi province in the Australian high-end fruit market, accounting for 40% of the country's apple exports to Australia, and they were first exported to the United States in 2015. The fruit stands out for its beautiful appearance and juicy taste which made it popular in foreign markets.
At 35 degrees latitude, the hinterland of the Loess Plateau has good temperature differentiation between day and night, adequate sunlight hours, and a superior geographical location with great ecological conditions that makes Wanrong county a perfect location for producing some of the best apples in the world - big, crispy and tasty.
Good management also plays an important role
Wanrong farmers have explored and created ten new technologies and eighteen procedures for quality apple production. Each link, from planting, watering, fertilizing, growing, picking, storing and packaging has been refined over the years. Wanrong was the first to create a double bagging technology, to provide the required conditions for the growth of the apples.
"Apples also need a nice appearance" said Liwei Wang, a fruit grower from Wanrong, "We protect them with a layer of film when the apple first changes from a flower into a fruit. This is our so called "double bagging technology" , which can not only protect fruit from pests and diseases, but also reduces pesticide residues to a minimum".
Why export the Wanrong apple?
In order to export the Wanrong apple out of the country, Wanrong county developed the first local standards for the local red Fuji Apple. They complied with the requirements and standards, from the production technology to quality levels, specifications, packaging, labeling and transportation storage.
Internet also helped sales platform to expand
Qiuli Jia, is a staff member from Wanrong in Liaoning province. From the beginning of 2016, she helped her mother to contact buyers through the WeChat platform, she sent the orders to her mother's cell phone, and then her mother shipped out the apples from her home.
Qiuli Jia saw the Wanrong county government's strong support for e-commerce, and she wanted to make sure her mother's hard work paid off through the Internet channel, therefore, she began to sell apples on WeChat.
Jia said: "I now recruit a lot of agents; there are at least a 100 orders each day, and will be over 200 orders during the festivals".
There are a lot of apple traders like Qiuli Jia. In 2016, the County launched an online selling apple boom, which turned Wanrong county into a free venue for e-commerce leaders. They provided a free exhibition area, held a variety of salon and live events to attract more young people willing to invest and join in the new economy.
In August 2016, Wanrong county held the Thirteenth Party Congress and stated that in order to construct a high-quality fruit county and build an agricultural and sideline products processing base, the apple industry of Wanrong intends to usher in a new period of development opportunities.
"This is just the beginning for the Wanrong Apple sales boom," Qiuli Jia added.
"Apples also need a nice appearance" said Liwei Wang, a fruit grower from Wanrong, "We protect them with a layer of film when the apple first changes from a flower into a fruit. This is our so called "double bagging technology" , which can not only protect fruit from pests and diseases, but also reduces pesticide residues to a minimum".
Why export the Wanrong apple?
In order to export the Wanrong apple out of the country, Wanrong county developed the first local standards for the local red Fuji Apple. They complied with the requirements and standards, from the production technology to quality levels, specifications, packaging, labeling and transportation storage.
Internet also helped sales platform to expand
Qiuli Jia, is a staff member from Wanrong in Liaoning province. From the beginning of 2016, she helped her mother to contact buyers through the WeChat platform, she sent the orders to her mother's cell phone, and then her mother shipped out the apples from her home.
Qiuli Jia saw the Wanrong county government's strong support for e-commerce, and she wanted to make sure her mother's hard work paid off through the Internet channel, therefore, she began to sell apples on WeChat.
Jia said: "I now recruit a lot of agents; there are at least a 100 orders each day, and will be over 200 orders during the festivals".
There are a lot of apple traders like Qiuli Jia. In 2016, the County launched an online selling apple boom, which turned Wanrong county into a free venue for e-commerce leaders. They provided a free exhibition area, held a variety of salon and live events to attract more young people willing to invest and join in the new economy.
In August 2016, Wanrong county held the Thirteenth Party Congress and stated that in order to construct a high-quality fruit county and build an agricultural and sideline products processing base, the apple industry of Wanrong intends to usher in a new period of development opportunities.
"This is just the beginning for the Wanrong Apple sales boom," Qiuli Jia added.