Islamabad, Aug 4: Advanced Chinese kiwifruit farming techniques are being taught to agricultural specialists from Pakistan, Egypt, Nepal, and Mongolia at the present International Training Workshop on Kiwi Industrial Technology in Cangxi, Sichuan province.
Cangxi is well known for being the birthplace of the red kiwifruit. It lies tucked away at the southern base of the Daba Mountains and the northern edge of the Sichuan Basin. Cangxi’s red kiwifruits are distinguishable from the more widely recognized green, villous varieties by having smooth, hairless skin and bright red stripes at the center. Their flavor is soft, juicy, sweet, and invigorating, which is why they are praised.
Cangxi’s kiwifruit sector grew to a 395,000-mu (about 26,333-hectare) growing area by the end of 2023, encompassing 31 villages and towns. According to a China Economic Net study, the industry has an annual turnover of 6.31 billion yuan, contributes 35% of the county’s agricultural output, and employs over 200,000 people.
Experts from the University of Swabi and PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi are among the participants in the workshop, who are having a thorough educational experience. The training aims to deepen their understanding of various aspects of kiwifruit cultivation, from variety breeding and intellectual property protection to base construction, field management, warehousing logistics, brand building, and marketing. It consists of lectures, field visits, practical exercises, and hands-on experiments.
Cangxi red kiwifruit is something that Dr. Muhammad Akhlaq of PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi is quite proud of. Here, the red kiwifruit grows healthily and has an excellent flavor. Through upcoming collaborative ventures, I intend to bring Cangxi’s red kiwi technology and products to additional locations,” he stated.
The Cangxi Kiwifruit Research Center impressed Dr. Ruidar Ali Shah of the University of Swabi as well. Their thorough investigation into every facet of kiwifruit farming is admirable. I’m excited to see what new heights they will reach in the future,” he continued.
The workshop, which is being hosted by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology’s Department of International Cooperation and organized by the Sichuan Provincial Academy of Natural Resource Sciences, the Cangxi County Government, and the Guangyuan Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, will take place over the course of two weeks in two phases in Cangxi and Chengdu.
