Avocado growers in a China-Myanmar border county are working hard to pick their fruit in time for the festive market around the Chinese Lunar New Year. Avocado has become a money crop in Menglian county, southwest China's Yunnan Province, which has placed its bet on cultivation of this fruit since 2014. With a seasonal fruit output of 15,000 tons, Menglian is currently China's largest avocado growing county.
Avocado is a relatively new to locals who traditionally relied on the cultivation of rubber, tea and sugar cane. Imports of this product have received a warm market response in China, giving Chinese fruit growers the confidence to embrace the nutrient-rich fruit for mass cultivation.
Since 2014, the local government has been committed to promoting avocado planting. New growers can receive subsidies as incentives for trying avocado cultivation. The local government has also introduced specialists to support seedling research and improve fruit growing techniques in the county.
Source: china.org.cn