Power Support in Place for Early Cixi Yangmei Season

On May 20, staff from State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power visited Qianlong Village and Meiyuan Village in Kuangyan Town, Cixi, to inspect electrical lines, facilities, lighting, and control boxes in greenhouse-grown yangmei (Chinese bayberry) orchards. They also helped local farmers repair post-meter wiring inside the greenhouses, ensuring reliable power supply ahead of the yangmei harvest season.

Cixi, known as China's "Hometown of Yangmei", boasts 90,000 mu (approximately 6,000 hectares) of yangmei orchards, with an annual yield of 66,500 tons and a total output value exceeding 1 billion yuan. The fruit is prized for its large size, small pit, juiciness, and rich flavor, making it a long-time favorite among consumers. In recent years, towns such as Henghe and Kuangyan have leveraged their natural advantages to promote greenhouse cultivation of yangmei, helping local farmers increase incomes and advance toward common prosperity.

Greenhouse-grown yangmei ripens about 20 days earlier than those grown in open fields, allowing farmers to capture early market demand and extend the overall harvest period. This method also better shields the fruit from unpredictable weather, resulting in more stable quality and higher yields.

Electricity now plays a vital role in yangmei farming. Greenhouses are equipped with ventilation fans, irrigation systems, and smart monitoring terminals, all reliant on a steady power supply. Moreover, given the short shelf life of fresh yangmei, many local growers and cooperatives have invested in low-temperature storage facilities to extend freshness and preserve the fruit’s unique taste for domestic and international transport.

"Every year around this time, the power company staff check in on us like family", said Grandpa Qi, a grower from Difeng Yangmei Farm, giving a thumbs-up to Yao Lukun, rural community manager at State Grid Cixi Power Supply Company.

Recognizing the challenges posed by scattered planting zones and temporary electrical equipment, Yao led a dedicated service team to conduct comprehensive safety inspections in the fields. Their focus included cold storage facilities, sorting centers, and irrigation systems, assisting farmers in replacing outdated switches and installing leakage protectors to ensure safe and efficient power use.

To meet the rising electricity demands of yangmei farmers, State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power has taken early action by deploying grassroots power supply teams directly into the orchards. Through proactive "front-end services", reinforced line inspections, and widespread electrical safety education, the company is working to ensure a secure and worry-free power supply for farmers and the broader yangmei industry chain.

The staff of State Grid Cixi Power Supply Company learned about the power needs of plum farmers in the prune greenhouses.

Aerial photo of prune greenhouses.

The staff of the plum cooperative is screening high-quality plums.

Cixi City, Zhejiang Province, prunes with big fruit and small nuclei.

Staff of State Grid Cixi Power Supply Company helped plum farmers repair electric circuits in the prune greenhouses.