රන් බිමේ හැදෙන රතු ඵලදාව

Smart machinery, innovative business strategies transform Xinjiang's tomato industry

The tomato industry in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, has been reshaped by cutting-edge machinery and innovative business strategies.

Xinjiang, known as the "golden land" for tomatoes, boasts optimal growing conditions with abundant sunshine and sharp difference between day and night temperatures.

"The sun is abundant, so the lycopene content in tomatoes is higher. The soil here is rich in selenium and relatively fertile. Tomato production is expected to reach about 120 tons per hectare this year," said Zhao Ling, deputy director of the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Manas County.

Post-harvest processing is vital for tomatoes, the beloved vegetable on dining tables worldwide, to yield products like paste.

"High content and thick skin are the characteristics of processing tomatoes. The purpose is to reduce water loss during transportation and increase production," said Zhao.

Manas County in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture began the large-scale cultivation of tomatoes for processing in the 1990s, and embraced mechanized agriculture more than a decade ago. Today, smart machines can filter out low-quality tomatoes, and harvest 600 tons of quality produce a day.

From August to October, the 14,000 hectares of processing tomato crops in Manas County, or 40 percent of Xinjiang's total tomato cultivation area, are ripe for harvest.

The tomato cultivation is financially rewarding, according to local farmers.

"The income from tomatoes is better than from other vegetables, and large fields are easier to manage," said Chen Jianbing, a farmer.

Beyond advanced machinery, innovative business models have reshaped the industry.

Contract farming became predominant in Manas to help farmers hedge against the risk of fluctuations in tomato prices. Tomato paste companies confirm the amount and varieties of tomatoes in advance with the farmers, and provide technical consultations during the growing period of the crops to ensure product quality and production efficiency.

In Manas, the entire processing tomato industry is estimated to have an output value of 2.5 billion yuan, or more than 350 million U.S. dollars this year, which will improve the economic wellbeing of the locals.

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