Shandong’s Rushan: Revitalize “Blue” Industry and Enhance “Blueberry” Brand

RUSHAN, China, July 12, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

Currently, it is the time for Rushan City’s open-air blueberries to ripen and be marketed in large quantities. On the hills in Wuji Town, renowned as the “Blueberry Town,” blueberry fruits are dangling from every branch, presenting a delightful scene of abundance.

The 500 mu of blueberries of Xiangfeng Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. located in Shizixian Village, Wuji Town, Rushan City are ripening one after another, with over 20 workers diligently picking and sorting the mature fruits, and packaging them to be shipped nationwide.

As the earliest town in Rushan City to embark on the development of the blueberry industry, the blueberries of Wuji Town have a strong competitive position in the national blueberry market due to stable production and excellent quality. While achieving remarkable sales performance of blueberries, Wuji Town also boasts flourishing blueberry seedling industry. In the seedling shed of Baixing Agricultural Park, advanced seedling cultivation techniques and scientific management approaches ensure the survival rate and quality of the seedlings. They not only fulfill the demands of the cooperatives and growers in the town but also attract numerous customers from other regions to place orders. Currently, the sales of blueberry seedlings have surpassed 5 million stocks. 

“Wuji Town pursues differentiated, characterized, and advantageous development by fully leveraging its resource advantages. From the ‘starting point’ of the blueberry industry, Wuji Town manages to drive a ‘big change’ in agricultural industry so as to build a new business format of integrated development of blueberry seedlings, tissue culture, processing, and sales throughout the industry chain, and to explore a new path for rural industry prosperity. Currently, our blueberry planting area is about 4,500 mu, with an annual output value of around 200 million yuan,” said Yin Chuanzhi, member of the Wuji Town Party Committee and director of Armed Forces Department.

Going forward, Wuji Town will, based on its agricultural characteristic industries, follow the development model of “leading enterprises + talents + bases + cooperatives + farmers” and guide surrounding villages to transform existing orchards and varieties, continuously optimize the blueberry industry structure, enhance the added value of products, and consistently boost the upgrading of the blueberry industry, thus contributing to the economic development of Rushan City and the increase in farmers’ income.