Cherry Makes Life Sweeter in Chengcheng County

Industrial development is a fundamental solution to poverty. After analyzing local natural resources and industrial foundation in 2019, the party and government departments of Chengcheng County in Weinan City of Shaanxi Province have aimed to build the county into China’s top cherry producer and foster a leading industry that can increase the incomes of local people through developing the “Chengcheng Cherry” brand.

Villagers harvesting cherries

“I’m Gao Chengwen, the governor of Chengcheng County. You’re welcome to try our sweet Chengcheng cherries.” The video of Governor Gao promoting cherries along with representatives of online food companies during a recent sales activity has gone viral among local residents.

Yang Wumin (Left), Vice Mayor of Weinan, and Wang Wanqing, Party Secretary of Chengcheng County, together endorse Chengcheng cherries

Zhang Ying with the county’s agriculture bureau said multiple measures have been put in place since February to promote online sales to counteract the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Preliminary stats show by mid-May, greenhouse cherries grown in the county had been nearly sold out while those cultivated in open fields gradually hit the market. The county’s cherry sales this year so far have amounted to around 300 million yuan. Online and e-commerce channels achieved sales of 70 million yuan, significantly increasing their shares in the total sales from a year ago.

Party Secretary Wang Wanqing says the county will continue to foster a high-quality cherry production industry and build China’s No.1 cherry producing county through better utilizing the natural advantages of the 35th parallel north and further developing local brands.