"In 2023, we purchased over 10,000 tons of litchi in Guangdong, helping to increase the income of 3,800 farmers. This is what we have contributed to the High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns, and Villages," Chen Yaohua, chairman of Zungly Agricultural Group, told GDToday at the Guangdong Provincial High-quality Development Conference held recently.
The High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns, and Villages, one of Guangdong's primary projects, aims to comprehensively promote rural revitalization and achieve coordinated development of urban and rural areas. Upon implementation, the importance of market entities, such as agricultural enterprises, is highlighted.
Founded in 2019, Zungly Agricultural Group is deeply engaged in both domestic sales and the export of agricultural produce, especially litchi. With more than 2,133 hectares of cooperative planting bases, their products have been exported to more than 20 countries and regions worldwide.
Engage more farmers in the agricultural export business
In 2023, Zungly Agricultural Group carried out the purchase of agricultural products and industrial cooperation in 15 counties among the first batch of typical counties of the High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns, and Villages.
Up to now, the group has a total of more than 2,666 hectares of filed export bases and is expected to engage over 7,000 farmers in the business in the future. "If we purchase farmers' litchi for export, the purchase price will be 30% higher than those for the domestic market," Chen introduced.
"We are focusing on developing a base in Shanwei's Lufeng this year, mainly dedicated to the cultivation of high-quality varieties and their research and development. With an investment of 260 million RMB (approximately 36 million US dollars), we will build an export base of more than 1,333 hectares, developing the local litchi industry into a high-quality model for eastern Guangdong."
Chen added that more than 1,000 farmers are expected to join the export base in 2024, and the purchasing volume this year will increase to 3,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 60%.
Additionally, Zungly Agricultural Group has also conducted a series of standardized intelligent orchard construction and litchi planting cooperation in the form of "company + cooperative + farmers." With the research and development of litchi, a number of superior new varieties have also been adopted during the transformation of old orchards.
Actively expanding international markets
As the largest litchi-producing area in China, Guangdong exported over 7,014 tons of litchi in the second quarter of 2023, accounting for 60.8% of the national total. The export value reached 139 million RMB, making up 62.6% of the country's total.
As a leading exporter of litchi in Guangdong, Zungly Agricultural Group has also been committed to providing fresh and high-quality agricultural produce from Guangdong to consumers around the world. "Most of our products were mainly exported to Europe and the United States last year. The RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) countries registered the biggest growth, and the export to Southeast Asia increased by more than 30%."
Talking about how to keep up with the demands of international consumers, Chen said, "Overseas markets are increasingly emphasizing the unique brand and quality of agricultural products from Guangdong. In this regard, we will continue to further brand promotion and quality variety cultivation."
"We are also cooperating with universities such as South China Agricultural University to improve planting techniques and preservation technologies."
Reporter | Nan, Abby
Poster | Lulu
Editor | Olivia, James
