As the last solar term of autumn approaches on October 23, it marks the beginning of the persimmon harvesting season in Fuping County, Shaanxi Province. Farmers in the region are gearing up for the production of dried persimmons.
The primary variety of persimmons in Fuping is the “Dajian,” known for its large size, sweet flavor, vibrant color, and firm texture, making it an excellent choice for dried persimmon production. The resulting dried persimmons are characterized by their large size, frost-like appearance, shiny bottom, moist texture, and sweet aroma, which have gained considerable popularity in the market. Every year after the frost arrives, local farmers start the processing of these fruits.
In addition to traditional dried persimmons, Fuping has diversified its offerings, creating over ten products including frozen persimmons, persimmon beverages, and persimmon leaf tea. In recent years, the cultivation area for persimmons in Fuping County has reached 360,000 acres, with an annual production of 280,000 tons of fresh persimmons and 70,000 tons of dried persimmons. The entire persimmon industry chain has generated a total output value of 6.5 billion yuan, significantly boosting farmers’ incomes.
Meanwhile, in Tangshan, Hebei Province, Caofeidian is known as the largest pufferfish farming area in northern China, and it’s currently the peak harvesting season for this exclusive fish. Let’s take a closer look at the major industry behind the “small” pufferfish.
In Caofeidian, located in Bohai Bay, pufferfish farming thrives. Fishermen are actively engaged in catching the fish as they pull nets underwater. The pufferfish being caught are notably large and quite lively.
Li Botao is a local aquaculture practitioner who has contracted over 1,000 acres for pufferfish farming. He mentioned that the survival rate for pufferfish is quite high, exceeding 90%, and he expects to harvest more than 30,000 fish this year. The pufferfish variety raised in the area is the redfin puffer, which, when mature, weighs around two to two and a half pounds and has significant economic value. In recent years, the region has been actively developing a complete pufferfish industrial chain that encompasses breeding, processing, sales, and export. Approximately 60% of the pufferfish produced locally is exported to Japan and South Korea.
As of now, the total farming area for pufferfish in Tangshan’s Caofeidian is about 14,000 acres, with an annual output of around 1,000 tons.
In Zhejiang Province, the production of rice cakes is now in full swing, coinciding with the peak harvest of late rice. In Ningbo, rice cake factories are bustling with activity as they make use of freshly harvested rice, which is considered the best material for rice cake production.
At a rice cake factory in Cicheng Town, Jiangbei District, Ningbo City, skilled workers are busy with the processes of soaking rice, grinding, draining, grinding into flour, and steaming. The sounds of machinery blend with the fragrant aroma of rice, as steaming hot rice cakes flow off the production line. The factory manager stated that due to high sales demand, workers begin their shifts as early as 6 AM, making every day quite hectic since the arrival of the new rice crop.
