World Lemon Industry Development Conference Held in Anyue

ANYUE, China, Oct. 18, 2024 — The 5th World Lemon Industry Development Conference, hosted by the Anyue County People’s Government, commenced in Anyue County, Sichuan Province, China, on October 18, 2024. Over 300 industry experts, research institute representatives, company delegates, and industry professionals from nations and regions along the “Belt and Road” gathered in Anyue to discuss and exchange ideas on topics such as lemon variety improvement, nutrition and health, development and application, and foreign trade and sales.

This year’s Lemon Industry Development Conference is comprised of three main segments: the opening ceremony, on-site visits, and the 2024 Sichuan Vocational Skill Competition & Sichuan-Chongqing Lemon Skill Competition.

During the opening ceremony, Anyue County has specifically established a display area to showcase a wide array of lemon products, including lemon drinks, lemon alcohols, and lemon snacks, in a centralized manner. “We hope that the on-site product display area will exhibit the R&D achievements of the fine and deep processing of Anyue lemon in a more multifaceted and multidimensional manner,” a Conference official explained.

Following the opening ceremony, the guests will visit the sites of the Rural Digital Business Center for Cold Chain Storage in Anyue County, Anyue Cold Chain Storage and Rural Village Digitized Commercial Center, Sichuan Weiji Fruit Co., Ltd., and the Lemon Science and Technology Demonstration Park in Tongxian Town to gain a deeper understanding of the production, sales, and other aspects related to the local lemon industry.

Additionally, the 2024 Sichuan Vocational Skill Competition & Sichuan-Chongqing Lemon Skill Competition, a supplementary activity of this year’s conference, will be held at the Baosen Lemon Tourist Area in Anyue County on November 4-5. Anyue County will organize lemon industry workers from Sichuan and Chongqing to participate in skill theory exams and practical skill competitions in lemon tree pruning and lemon classification and packing, aiming to foster communication, enhance the participants’ technical abilities, elevate the brand exposure of Anyue lemon, and expand brand influence.

Located in Ziyang, Sichuan, China, Anyue County is one of the world’s five leading areas for lemon producing planting, and also the only lemon production base in China. Therefore, it is dubbed the “Hometown of Lemons” in China.

Since the introduction of lemon cultivation in the 1920s, Anyue has been dedicated to the planting of lemon for nearly a century and succeeded in breeding Anyue lemon, a new variety of Eureka lemon renowned for its exceptional quality. Due to the humid and warm climate, geographical advantages brought by the hilly area and optimal soil conditions, Anyue lemon has been proven to possess more citric acid, vitamin C, antioxidants, and other nutrients compared to most other counterparts, making it a top choice for both direct consumption and further processing. In turn, Anyue has become one of the regions most suitable for lemon growth.

In recent years, Anyue County has consistently improved its lemon provenance supply chain, base planting chain, industrial processing chain, and marketing and sales chain, essentially establishing a development system that encompasses R&D, cultivation, processing, and sales of lemons. These achievements are included in the List of Geographical Indication Protection Projects in 2024 published by the China National Intellectual Property Administration. Notably, Anyue County, leveraging the lemon industry, has been actively exploring ways to integrate lemon and tourism, and culture and industry. Through these efforts, Anyue County has constructed the lemon theme park, Anyue Lemon Scenic Area, numerous lemon-themed restaurants, and other attractions that have attracted a large number of tourists.

In 2023, Anyue lemon registered export value of up to 128 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 78%. Between January and August this year, the export value of Anyue lemon amounted to 110 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 170.4%, ranking first in Sichuan Province in terms of export volume of a single product. Anyue lemon has been sold to 38 countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and other regions.

Source: The People’s Government of Anyue County

CONTACT: Contact person: Ms Hou, Tel: 86-10-63074558