Persimmon industry thrives in Shunping county, N China's Hebei

A family member of Yang Shasha hangs persimmons to make dried persimmons in Yongsheng village, Anyang town, Shunping county, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Zhao Duan)

On Nov. 9, the hillsides of Yongsheng village in Anyang town, Shunping county, north China's Hebei Province, were covered with persimmon trees laden with fruit. Villager Yang Shasha was busy turning the freshly picked fruit into dried persimmons.

"I have more than 200 persimmon trees, and all the fruit I harvest goes into making dried persimmons. This year, I expect to produce around 2,500 kilograms of dried persimmons. Most of them are sold online, priced between 30 and 40 yuan per kilogram depending on quality and size," Yang said.

Nestled in the Taihang Mountains, Anyang town has over 30,000 mu (2,000 hectares) of persimmon orchards. Persimmons and dried persimmons produced here are sold to places such as Beijing, Tianjin and northeast China.

Shunping county has made the persimmon industry a key driver of income growth for local people. The county has encouraged farmers to improve varieties, expand deep-processing, and scale up production of dried persimmons. It has also promoted the development of related products such as persimmon wine, vinegar, beverages, and more.

The county has over 60,000 mu of persimmon orchards. It produces more than 70 million kilograms of fresh persimmons and over 50,000 kilograms of dried persimmons each year.

Workers make persimmon slices in a workshop in Jiaxizhuang village, Anyang town, Shunping county, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Zhao Duan)

Villagers sell persimmons at a market in Anyang town, Shunping county, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Zhao Duan)

Dealers sort persimmons at a market in Beihu village, Shunping county, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Zhao Duan)