Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – On the 17th, a reporter learned from the Ginseng Fruit Industry Development Association of Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, that by 2025, the county's ginseng fruit planting area will reach 181,000 mu (approximately 12,400 hectares), with a yield of 380,000 tons and a comprehensive output value of 4.5 billion yuan, benefiting 23,400 fruit farmers and injecting new momentum into rural revitalization.
Located in the heart of the eastern Yunnan Plateau, Shilin County is known as "the essence of world karst and the hometown of Ashima, the legendary Chinese goddess." Two-thirds of the county is karst landform, giving rise to the Shilin Scenic Area, a World Natural Heritage site. Furthermore, the soil there is highly permeable and rich in minerals such as selenium, magnesium, and iron. Since the introduction of ginseng fruit cultivation at the end of the 20th century, the variety has been continuously improved, making it a "prosperity fruit" for various ethnic groups in the area.
Ginseng fruit in Shilin County is planted from March to April and harvested from July to November. A series of products developed from this ginseng fruit are sold throughout the country.
Xijiekou Town boasts the largest ginseng fruit planting area in Shilin County, reaching 109,000 mu (approximately 7,667 hectares) in 2025, with a yield of 239,800 tons. Bi Weixue, a major grower in the town, explained that he spearheaded the establishment of the Shilin Guowang Ginseng Fruit Planting Professional Cooperative in 2018. After years of development, the number of members has increased from 5 to 106. Thanks to expert guidance in planting and the introduction of e-commerce to broaden sales channels, ginseng fruit is in high demand, and the average household income has reached 20,000 yuan.
Mei Aibing, president of the Shilin County Ginseng Fruit Industry Development Association, introduced that after years of careful cultivation, Shilin County has established a complete industrial chain for ginseng fruit, encompassing breeding, seedling cultivation, technology, branding, and trading, all with independent intellectual property rights. There are over 100 enterprises, cooperatives, and family farms specializing in ginseng fruit, with products covering seedlings, dried fruit, beverages, wines, health products, bonsai, and feed. Twenty varieties of ginseng fruit, categorized into fruits and vegetables, have been cultivated, exhibiting stronger resistance, wider adaptability, and richer flavor. The association will continue to serve the entire ginseng fruit industry chain, continuously promoting industrial value-added, enterprise efficiency, and increased income for fruit farmers.
On October 28, 2025, the Shilin International Flower and Agricultural Specialty Products Exhibition and Trading Center was officially launched. This center is an industrial hub integrating digital trading, standardized processing, cold chain logistics, and e-commerce incubation for agricultural specialty products such as flowers and ginseng fruit, injecting momentum into the "Yunnan Products Going Global" initiative. Furthermore, the released "Shilin Ginseng Fruit Quality Standard System" standardizes product quality from dimensions such as appearance, sweetness, and maturity, providing a replicable and exportable "Shilin solution" for industry development.
According to statistics, in 2024, Shilin County's ginseng fruit planting area reached 170,100 mu, with a yield of 300,200 tons and a comprehensive output value of 3.51 billion yuan. In 2025, the planting area reached 181,000 mu, the yield reached 380,000 tons, and the comprehensive output value reached 4.5 billion yuan, all setting new historical records.
Driven by the development of Shilin County, ginseng fruit cultivation has expanded to Qujing, Honghe, Chuxiong, Xishuangbanna, Wenshan, Pu'er, Baoshan, and other areas in Yunnan Province, ensuring a year-round supply of fresh ginseng fruit.
According to Shilin County's plan, by 2027, the county's ginseng fruit planting area will reach 200,000 mu (approximately 13,333 hectares), driving the cultivation of ginseng fruit on 600,000 mu (approximately 40,000 hectares) across the province, with a total output of 900,000 tons and a comprehensive output value exceeding 10 billion yuan. (End)
