On February 6th, thereporter learned from the city citrus and tea office that the city’s latest annual report of citrus has been released: the citrus planting area in Yichang is 1.961 million mu in 2016with the yield of 3,2315 million tons and the output value 9.837 billion yuan.

　　The report shows that the citrus area is 1.923 million mu in 2015, with the yield of 3.007 million tons and the output value of 7,981 billion yuan. While in 2016, the city’s citrus area has increased by 38 thousand mu on the basis of 2015, the yield by 224.5 thousand tons, and output value by 1.856 billion yuan, with an increase of 2%, 7.5% and 23.3% respectively.

　　Wen Zhonghua, the director of Yichang Citrus Science Research Institute, says that the year of 2016 is full of disasters. Under the background of national agricultural products going down, Yichang citrus has done a perfect job to achieve counter attack and leapfrog development. In addition, it’s the eighth time to make output value increased since 2008 and now it’s nearly 10 billion yuan, with the output value of over 20 billion yuan. Especially the price of “Zigui naval orange” and “Qingjiang Ponkan”, the overall level has reached the peak, creatinga new history and benefitingfarmers.

　　It is reported that, in recent years, Yichang has raised more than 3 billion yuan to implement the standardized production of citrus, focusing on the construction of 600 thousand mu of fine orchards. More than 95% Yichang citrus have reached the standard of being high-quality and pollution-free. High quality fruit rate reaches more than 80%, and fine fruit rate is more than 30%. Yichang citrus has grown from traditional planting to modern industry with the best yield in the country, thus to become a dazzling pearl in high-quality citrus industry lines.

　　In addition, Yichang implements brand strategy, strengthens public advocacy and vigorously promotes the construction and management of “Yichang tangerine”, “Zigui naval orange” and “Qingjiang Ponkan”, the three regional public brands. Under the leadership of the municipal government, Yichang Municipal Bureau of Agriculture increases the citrus brand publicity year by year, and “Yichang tangerine”, “Zigui naval orange” and other image advertisement appear in CCTV, which has enhanced the brand image.

　　As to citrus sales, when constantly consolidating the domestic market, Yichang is also actively exploring the international market. In recent years, the municipal government and the Municipal Bureau of Agriculture lead the citrus top enterprises to develop in all directions, which greatly enlarged the domestic and international marketing networkbyimplementing the market strategy of “ consolidating North China and the Northeast, exploring the Northwest and the Southwest, occupying Eastern China and expanding international market”.(Reporter Li Pengfei, correspondent Fang Suzhen)