Pepper harvest booms in Xiuwen

Relying on its cool mountain climate, Xiuwen county has been focusing on the development of its pepper industry this year.

Farmers harvest peppers. [Photo/website of Xiuwen county]

Xiuwen's Lufeng village began planting peppers more than 20 years ago. A farmers' professional cooperative was established five years ago. The group has kept exploring and selecting distinctive varieties suited to local conditions and leased a large amount of fallow land for pepper cultivation, helping local residents develop businesses on their own.

This year, Lufeng village's pepper planting area has exceeded 1,400 mu (93.33 hectares). The average yield stands at around 3,250 kilograms per mu. Calculated at a purchasing price of 2.6 yuan ($0.38) per kg, the output value per mu exceeds 8,000 yuan.

Workers sort and pack peppers. [Photo/website of Xiuwen county]

Xiuwen's pepper planting area spans 37,500 mu this year, with the total output projected to exceed 80,000 metric tons. Harvesting and marketing are underway, with products mainly sold to Guangxi, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Chongqing, and other regions.