Early waxberries selling well in Shiping county

As a region where waxberries get ripe the earliest in China, Shiping county in south Yunnan’s Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture sees waxberries ripen 40 to 60 days earlier than in other regions.

Recently, the early-ripening waxberries from Baxin town have hit the market, fetching up to 200 yuan per kilogram due to their early availability and good quality.

At the vast Huoke Muchong waxberry base covering thousands of mu, rows of neatly arranged waxberry trees are laden with waxberries that look like rubies. Under the fruit trees, villagers' baskets are already filled with freshly picked waxberries. After careful selection and screening, the waxberries will be air-freighted to markets nationwide.

"This year's waxberries ripened about a week earlier than last year. They were selling for over 200 yuan per kilogram, but now the price has dropped slightly, with most selling for between 100 to 120 yuan," said Lu Xiaoping, a planter.

Since introduction of the Dayezao waxberry from Fujian, this variety has been favored by customers for its abundant fruiting and early ripening. Compared to other varieties, Dayezao remains stable in price, ranging from 50 to 100 yuan per kilo, and reaching up to 202 yuan per kilogram at the beginning of the season.

The waxberry planting area in Shiping county covers about 93.33km2, with an annual output of 130,200 tons and a production value of 812 million yuan.

Source: Yunnan Daily; trans-editing by Wang Yunya