Citrus turns barren land into profitable orchard

Located in the dry and hot valley of the Jinsha river, upper reach of the Yangtze river, west Yunnan’s Binchuan county is suitable for cultivating citrus fruits despite its scarce rainfall.

Over the past few years, Binchuan has capitalized on its dry and hot climate resources to develop fruit industry, improve agricultural infrastructure, and cooperate with fruit companies. The barren mountains of Jizushan town in Binchuan are now oasis of orchards.

In 2023, the total output value of grapes citrus and other fruits reached 8.6 billion yuan in the county, with per capita fruit income exceeding 20,000 yuan. The fruit industry also provides extra jobs for local villagers.

Source: People's Daily; trans-editing by Wang Yunya