NANNING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Basked in warm winter sunshine, rows of grape trellises, covered with white plastic film, stood neatly in the grape vineyards of the Xinxin fruit planting professional cooperative.
Grape grower Xiao Juanzhong and other farmers of the cooperative were busy applying organic fertilizers to the soil in the vineyards, which are located in Shanshu Village, Xing'an County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
"The cooperative focuses on signature and high-quality grape varieties, which require our constant efforts to improve the fruit's quality," said Xiao. "The grape harvest season this year has ended, but growers need to continue their careful care of the vineyards in winter to ensure a bumper harvest in the coming year."
According to Xiao, the cooperative has a green and pollution-free grape planting area of 80 hectares and the annual output value has reached 35 million yuan (about 5 million U.S. dollars). It mainly sells the fruit to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other big Chinese cities.
Xing'an County is located in northeast Guilin, a city in Guangxi. A combination of abundant sunshine and rain endow Xing'an with natural advantages for developing the grape growing industry.
With a grape planting area of 10,000 hectares and an annual output of about 310,000 tonnes, Xing'an County has become the largest grape-producing area in Guangxi and the largest table grape production base in south China.
In recent years, through the promotion of pollution-free and standardized production technologies, the grape industry has become one of the pillar agricultural industries in Xing'an. According to the agriculture and rural affairs bureau of Xing'an, there are about 30 grape varieties in the county, with an annual output value of nearly 3.4 billion yuan.
"Grape growing has become one of the main ways for villagers to increase their income. At present, 28,000 households in the county are engaged in the industry, covering major townships and villages," said Lyu Ruiyun, director of the county's agriculture and rural affairs bureau.
Along the road to Bangshang Village, Mochuan Township, vineyards stretch on both sides. A few purple grapes still hang on the grape trellises of Chen Yunlong, Party chief of the Fumin grape professional cooperative.
"The grapes were sold out long ago. I only left a few for my family and visitors. Now I am busy cleaning, exterminating and fertilizing the vineyards so that the grapes will grow better next year," Chen said.
The Fumin cooperative reaped a bountiful harvest of Wink Grape, a black seedless grape variety, this year. One hectare secured farmers a net income of more than 150,000 yuan. The cooperative now has 120 members and a grape planting area of more than 133 hectares.
Across the township, the Wink Grape planting area has surpassed 666 hectares, with an annual output of 20,000 tonnes and an output value of 200 million yuan, said Zhang Zhenghua, Party chief of Mochuan Township.
By grape growing, villagers have increased their per capita annual income by 12,000 yuan, accounting for 76 percent of their net income, Zhang said. "Villagers' enthusiasm is high. We are promoting the diversified, intensive, and large-scale development of the grape industry in the township."
Xing'an is striving to develop and transform the grape industry into a green ecological industry, a signature industry, and a leading industry for rural revitalization, said Wu Xun, deputy Party chief of Xing'an County.
"We are also encouraging farmers to establish brand awareness and pursue collective development and prosperity to promote the further development of the grape industry in Xing'an," said Wu. "More grape farmers will make money from the industry and enjoy a thriving life." ■
