As autumn brings crisp air and the fragrance of ripening produce, Gaoyao's guava orchards are entering their peak fall harvest season. Guided by a development strategy tailored to local conditions, the guava industry in Gaoyao is steadily advancing toward superior fruit varieties, technology-driven cultivation, and diversified sales channels.
Plump fruits hanging from the branches are gradually becoming "golden fruits" that boost local incomes, adding a touch of sweet丰收 joy to the region. In Xiaoyou Village, Dawan Town, rows of guava trees grow across the landscape, their green leaves interspersed with heavy, full-bodied fruit. Local villager Rong Shiyuan's orchard sits right here. Six years ago, he capitalized on the village's natural resources by planting guava on idle hillside land. Thanks to years of meticulous care, his 13-mu orchard now yields a bountiful harvest every single year.
Guava grower Rong Shiyuan from Xiaoyou Village, Dawan Town, shared: "This orchard has around 1,100 guava trees, now six years old, producing roughly 60,000 jin annually. The environment here is perfect for guava—sandy soil, abundant water, and suitable temperatures give the fruit excellent sweetness."
Guava cultivation demands fine-tuned management. To master the techniques, Rong Shiyuan attended agricultural training sessions, studied online, and exchanged tips with fellow farmers, steadily building his expertise. From pruning branches to nurturing flower buds, he handles every step with precision. His white-fleshed guavas are large, plump, crisp, and free of grit, making them highly popular in the market.
Rong explained: "Growing guava is different from rice or longan. Longan trees bloom once a year, but to get more guava fruit, you have to prune frequently and ensure flower buds form—without that step, there's no flowering or fruiting. We mostly sell our own produce, with some going to wholesale markets. Prices vary by season; during the June peak, they drop to about 10 yuan for three jin, while late-season autumn-winter fruit can fetch around 5 yuan per jin."
While individual growers focus on meticulous care, large-scale bases are leveraging technology. Guava is a signature fruit of Gaoyao, widely planted across towns like Dawan, Jindu, Liantang, Baitu, and Lubu, with Huangkeng Community in Jindu Town as the core cultivation area. At the Yanzhi Hong (Rose Red) guava planting base, the trees are lush and heavy with fruit. Workers are busy bagging fruit with pest-proof covers and picking ripe guavas, painting a scene of bustling harvest activity.
Zhu Yongtong, head of Zhaoqing Xiangshuitian Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., said: "This year, we partnered with experts and professors from the Provincial Fruit Research Institute, achieving a breakthrough in cultivation technology that significantly improved guava yield, taste, and quality. Typical guava sweetness sits around 9 degrees Brix, which is already quite sweet, but ours can reach 10-13 degrees. Our production has also increased by about 30% this year."
The base adopts a standardized modern agricultural management model, incorporating intelligent monitoring, green pest control, and integrated water-fertilizer regulation. These advanced techniques enhance the fruit's appearance and flavor while ensuring consistent quality at the source. Leveraging these technology-driven, standardized practices, premium guavas are carving out a path toward quality, branding, and market-oriented modern agriculture.
Zhu added: "This year, we invested more in high-tech equipment. We're using drones for spraying, which covers more area with better results. Our integrated water-fertilizer system has also been upgraded, allowing remote control via smartphone for precise fertilization and irrigation."
From small family orchards to standardized bases, technological empowerment and differentiated development are driving Gaoyao's guava industry to new heights. Currently, the district boasts a guava planting area of 9,671 mu, yielding 9,666 tons, with an output value of approximately 42.5 million yuan. Products are consistently supplied to supermarket chains in the Pearl River Delta region, including Guangzhou and Foshan. Online ordering channels have also been established, and this diversified production-sales structure has turned the modest guava into a pillar industry for agricultural efficiency and farmer income, injecting real momentum into rural revitalization.
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