Since the first sale of the very early ripening citrus from Yiling District this year, 19,600 tons of the fruit has been sold. This quantity accounts for 30.1% of the total production of 65100 tons of the same species. The highest price of the citrus is 3.60 yuan/kg while the lowest is 2.00 yuan/kg, and the bulk price is 2.80 yuan/kg, which is generally 1.00 yuan/kg higher than that of the same time last year, with a growth rate of 55.6%.

　　At the citrus trading market of Yichang Yanghong Farm Product Co., LTD., a lot of citrus farmers have carried their very early ripening citrus here by tricycles while the examiners are inspecting and classifying the citrus. This year, the company has received its first foreign order from Russia for 224 tons of the fruit, and they are now busy preparing the supplies. In order to meet the export demand for fresh fruit with leaves, the company invested nearly 300,000 yuan to purchase a new production line for the grading, processing and packing of such fruit this year, which has already been installed and debugged. (Correspondent: Xie Heping, Zheng Wenyan)