AsiaNet 200417

Cyberspace Affairs Office of the CPC Zaozhuang Municipal Committee

ZAOZHUANG, China, Sept. 26, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--According to the Cyberspace Affairs Office of the CPC Zaozhuang Municipal Committee, the 2024 Pomegranate Industry Development Conference was held recently in Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province, China. Themed "Facilitate Industrial Revitalization through Pomegranates to Embrace a Thriving Life," this year's conference featured activities like the Pomegranate Bonsai Crafting Competition, the Zaozhuang Pomegranate Cultural Creative Design Contest, and the Selection for Zaozhuang's Best Pomegranate. Centered around the goal of achieving win-win outcomes, the conference exhibited new achievements in the development of the pomegranate industry in Zaozhuang. It also served as a platform for exchanges in scientific research, cultivation, processing, and brand marketing to advance the development of the pomegranate industry.

Zaozhuang is renowned as the "Hometown of Pomegranates in China," with pomegranates serving as a distinctive and influential agricultural brand as well as a city hallmark. In recent years, the pomegranate industry in Zaozhuang has reached new heights and demonstrated fresh vigor and vitality.

Currently, Zaozhuang boasts over 100 products in the deep processing domain of pomegranates, encompassing series such as food, beverages, health supplements, cosmetics, and handicrafts, making it one of the most significant pomegranate deep processing industrial clusters in China.

The total area for pomegranate cultivation in the city has reached 120,000 mu, with an annual yield exceeding 120 million catties. The market entities involved in pomegranate cultivation, processing, and sales have grown to 118.

Over 500 enterprises and cooperatives are engaged in the pomegranate bonsai industry, generating an annual output value of nearly 600 million yuan.

Locally, more than 20 pomegranate-themed cultural and creative products have been developed, enriching the cultural significance of pomegranates. In 2023, the total output value of the pomegranate industry chain in Zaozhuang approached 4 billion yuan, solidifying the pomegranate's status as a genuine "fruit of wealth" in the region.

Caption: Farmers are harvesting pomegranates for market supply at the Pomegranate Plantation of Zhu Village, Liuyuan Town, Yicheng District, Zaozhuang City.

Source: Cyberspace Affairs Office of the CPC Zaozhuang Municipal Committee