Page 20 - YunnanTourismCultureTimes (118)

19 FOOD | 好吃

What’s new with Yunnan tomatoes?

今天，云南番茄怎么样了？

Emerging from history, the humble tures consistently above 14 °C, its “natural family is the cherry tomato. are precisely managed, with inputs calcu-
tomato has grown into a major industry in greenhouse” conditions and large diurnal Every December at the planting base lated based on accumulated solar radiation
Yunnan. temperature range lead to superior sugar of Dali Chunmuyuan Agricultural Tech- to ensure each plant’s optimal growth.
Thanks to its varied altitudes, ample accumulation in cherry tomatoes, which nology Co., Ltd. in Midu County, rows Wang Xiaobo, the company’s Brand
sunshine, and significant day-night tem- can reach Brix levels of 15 or higher. of tomato plants, averaging 2.5 meters in Director, introduced their core planting
perature differences, Yunnan can produce In 2024, Yunnan province cultivated height, are heavy with clusters of plump, area of 40 hectares, which currently cul-
tomatoes year-round, even in the off-sea- cherry tomatoes across approximately brightly colored fruit. Workers move tivates seven main varieties of cherry to-
son. As a result, Yunnan has become a 4,867 hectares, yielding 173,000 tons. As through them, harvesting the fresh toma- matoes: Andean Red, Lemon Drop, Sun
core tomato-producing region in China a core production area, Yuanmou County toes as the air fills with the rich scent of a Gold, Grape Tomato, Chocolate Tomato,
during the winter-spring period, filling the alone accounted for over 2,600 hectares of bountiful harvest. Plum Tomato, and Purple Tomato. “Our
seasonal supply gap when other regions this area, with an output of 130,000 tons. Located near the Tropic of Cancer at yields have consistently been strong,” he
cannot produce. From November to May The county grows a wide array of varieties 1,680 meters above sea level, Midu Coun- noted. “This season, weekly shipments
each year, Yunnan tomatoes dominate the that come to market in succession through- ty boasts up to 2,600 hours of annual sun- from the core area reach around 200
domestic market. out the year. Its products are sold exten- shine and a diurnal temperature difference tons, and supply still falls short of mar-
In recent years, Yunnan has prioritized sively across China, from major cities like of 12°C, creating a “golden production ket demand.”
modernizing its tomato industry by ad- Beijing and Shanghai to medium-sized area” for premium cherry tomatoes. Freshly picked in the morning and on
vancing seed breeding, upgrading cultiva- markets, and are also exported to South- After establishing its operation in Midu the road by afternoon. Each day, workers
tion techniques, and promoting agricultural east Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the County in 2017, Chunmuyuan Agricultural at the packing facility sort and package
standardization and branding. By expand- Americas. Technology capitalized on the favorable the tomatoes by grade and to meet specific
ing both online and offline sales networks, Yunnan Jincheng Seed Technology, a local climate, conditions that have earned supermarket requirements before loading
Yunnan tomatoes have gained such promi- top local enterprise, made the bold leap the region its reputation as a “golden pro- them onto trucks. The produce is then dis-
nence that netizens now celebrate them as from seed distributor to independent duction area” for tomatoes. It introduced tributed via cold-chain logistics to over a
“China’s new must-have specialty.” breeder over ten years. It now owns pro- a Dutch intelligent environmental control hundred cities across China.
Yuanmou County in Chuxiong Yi Au- prietary varieties such as “Huoshen No. 2,” system to create a smart agricultural plat- One dish, one fruit. Each is deeply
tonomous Prefecture, situated in the Jinsha having built a full breeding-to-promotion form integrating rainwater harvesting, woven into the tapestry of changing times,
River’s dry-hot valley, enjoys a South chain for premium seeds, cementing its climate regulation, and IoT technology. population movements, and industrial pro-
Asian subtropical dry-hot monsoon cli- control over this vital agricultural “chip.” Sensors monitor real-time data on light, gress. This is far more than a tale of “good
mate. With year-round abundant sunshine, Beyond “Yuanmou tomatoes,” another temperature, humidity, and CO₂ across the taste”; it is a living story of acceptance,
virtually no frost, and January tempera- prominent member of Yunnan’s tomato planting area. Irrigation and fertilization integration, and innovation.