The golden kumquat, a signature fruit of Rong'an County in Liuzhou, Guangxi, is renowned for its rich aroma that permeates the hills every autumn and winter. Now, this distinctive fragrance has traveled thousands of miles to grace the agricultural greenhouses of Hefei.
How were these southern kumquats introduced to Hefei, and how did they overcome challenges to thrive under refined, standardized production? On November 24, a visit to Anhui Zungui Modern Agricultural Science Park in Hefei's Xinzhan High-Tech Zone revealed the story behind this "southern fruit, northern cultivation" experiment.
For many, kumquats evoke images of small, tart fruits. However, Wang Chuanye, head of production at Zungui Agriculture, had his perception transformed after tasting the Rong'an Crispy Honey Kumquat—a seedless variety with sweet, crisp skin and tender flesh. Inspired, the team sought to cultivate this delicacy in Hefei, allowing locals to enjoy its sweetness firsthand.
Though ambitious, the idea wasn’t far-fetched for Zungui’s technical team, which already operated greenhouses with controlled environments. Over three years, growing high-quality Rong'an kumquats became their mission.
The journey wasn’t easy. Kumquat saplings proved delicate, requiring meticulous care. The team traveled to Rong'an to learn cultivation techniques from local farmers, who were initially skeptical about growing kumquats so far north. Despite setbacks like leaf loss and root rot due to Hefei’s differing climate and soil, the team persisted, investing over 100,000 yuan in saplings and refining their approach.
To mimic Guangxi’s warm, well-drained sandy soil, they upgraded greenhouse facilities with drip irrigation and adjusted temperature controls. Summer heat turned the greenhouses into steam rooms, while winter demanded nightly temperature checks to protect the plants. Through trial and error, they developed a comprehensive management system covering soil improvement, pest control, and harvesting.
One heart-wrenching step involved removing flower buds in the first two years to strengthen the trees. Workers initially resisted, questioning why potential fruit was sacrificed. Wang explained that robust trees yield better harvests—a principle that proved true when the first batch of flowers was retained this June.
By November, the greenhouse was filled with golden-yellow kumquats, some as large as loquats, boasting a sweetness level of 23–27 Brix, surpassing even watermelons. After years of grafting and refinement, the team proudly named their produce "Zungui Kumquats." Though the initial yield from the 6-acre greenhouse was modest—a few thousand pounds—the fruit’s exceptional quality justified its premium price of 50 yuan per pound.
Customer reactions were overwhelmingly positive, with many astonished by the fruit’s pure sweetness. Zhang Guanjie, an agronomist with decades of experience, noted that "Zungui Kumquats" are faster-growing, high-yielding, and adaptable to Hefei’s climate while retaining their signature sweetness and seedless texture.
Now open for public picking, these kumquats offer Hefei residents a taste of southern freshness. Wang Chuanye sees this as just the beginning, with plans to expand production once supply chains are optimized.
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