LANZHOU: At an agricultural company in northwest China’s Gansu Province, workers are diligently sorting and packing plump, rosy-red apples into boxes. After customs inspection, these sweet, fragrant fruits will be transported to Thailand via Qingdao Port on China’s east coast.
The approaching Spring Festival is the peak season for apple exports, according to Kang Yanwen, manager of foreign trade at Gansu Nature Farm Agriculture Co., Ltd. “The orders continue to pour in and we are shipping out every day. We don’t even have enough transport vehicles,” she said.
With abundant sunlight and significant temperature differences between day and night, Gansu has long been known for producing excellent apples.
In recent years, an increasing number of apple growers here have sought to expand their apple sales to overseas markets.
Data from Lanzhou Customs showed that in 2023, the export value of fresh apples from Gansu reached approximately 550 million yuan (about 77.40 million U.S. dollars), representing a year-on-year increase of 21.7 percent.
Kang lives in Li County in Longnan City, a prominent apple production hub renowned in Gansu as well as across China. “My family has been involved in the apple business for generations,” said Kang, adding that her father, Kang Yongliang, has always dreamed of exporting their apples.
In 2017, Kang Yongliang hired a foreign trade team to try exporting apples. However, due to various factors, the business plan didn’t succeed. –Agencies
