Fruit High-Quality Development Symposium Held by the Hebei Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

On the morning of 20 June 2019 the Hebei Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs convened a symposium on the high-quality development of the fruit industry in Hebei. Deputy Director Zhao Shaobo of the Speciality Industry Division chaired the meeting, and Deputy Director-General Duan Lingling and researcher Wang Jianmin introduced the department's relevant policies and the functions of its restructured divisions. Hebei Choice Fruit Alliance, Jinzhou Great Wall, Hebei Tianbo, Botou Yafeng, Xinji Yulong, Hebei Tianhua, Hebei Jiahua and Shijiazhuang Yuanchao were among the enterprises invited to attend.

Bian Qinggang, Vice Chairman of the Hebei Forestry Industry Association and Chairman of Hebei Choice Fruit Alliance, introduced the current state of the Hebei fresh pear industry and reported on the deep impact of trade conditions between China and the United States on Hebei pear exports.

“Product, capacity and brand are the foundation of an enterprise. First, we must secure standardised management of registered orchards so that product quality is effectively controlled. Second, we must raise the production and processing capability of our plants and move ahead with upgrading to fully automatic lines. Third, we need long-term, sustained brand building and consumer education.” Ren Guoqiang, Chairman of Jinzhou Great Wall Economic & Trade, a national-level agricultural industrialisation leading enterprise, spoke on his vision for the industry.

Kang Zengzhi, Chairman of Hebei Jiahua, gave an account of fruit growing and management in Zhaoxian County and shared his views on bagging, fertiliser use and crop protection in orchard management, leading to an in-depth discussion.

“Hebei has dozens of fresh pear export enterprises and hundreds of brands, but most of them work on their own. The strength of the Choice Fruit Alliance model is that it turns disorderly competition into close cooperation, concentrates strong resources, unifies the brand and unifies marketing, so that the standing of both the enterprises and the brand is built up into a super enterprise alliance and a super brand,” said Wu Yaqiong, General Manager of the Alliance.

Deputy Director-General Duan Lingling of the Hebei Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs acknowledged that Hebei pear exports rank among the highest nationally, and said the department would provide more support in areas including pesticide management, base construction, production and processing equipment and export brand building.

After the meeting the Alliance presented the department with a banner reading “Uniting strengths to lift the brand, sound policy to drive a thriving industry”, in appreciation of the support the Hebei Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has given to innovative alliance brand development and of its continued work for the prosperity of the fruit industry.