On August 23, the 2026 "Xiangxi Kiwifruit" National Geographical Indication Brand Promotion Event was held in Fenghuang County. With kiwifruit as the focus, the event integrated field visits, brand promotion, technology launches, and production-marketing matchmaking. It aimed to reinforce the status of Xiangxi kiwifruit as a national geographical indication product, expand distribution channels for agricultural products, and promote the high-quality development of specialty agriculture.

That day, attendees visited Changputang Village in Fenghuang County, the Kiwifruit Science and Technology Backyard, and local agricultural enterprises, learning about the current state of the entire industrial chain—from green and ecological cultivation, canker disease prevention and treatment, new variety breeding, deep processing, to e-commerce sales.

Located between 28° and 30° north latitude, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture enjoys a subtropical mountain monsoon humid climate. Its red and yellow soils are naturally abundant in trace elements like selenium and zinc, making it a prime growing region for kiwifruit. The kiwifruit planting area in the prefecture has remained stable at 260,000 mu (approximately 17,333 hectares). In 2025, the region's total kiwifruit output reached 265,300 tonnes, with a total output value exceeding 2.5 billion CNY. The kiwifruit industry spans 271 administrative villages across 58 townships in 8 counties (county-level cities), boosting the incomes of more than 200,000 people.

Behind these impressive numbers lies a solid foundation of technological innovation. Since 2023, Xiangxi Prefecture has invested 321 million CNY in 12 key projects, and has rolled out a package of measures focusing on "three optimizations, four improvements, and five enhancements" to bring standardization and scientific rigor to kiwifruit cultivation. Optimizations cover planting structure, project implementation, and support policies; the improvements target soil quality, varieties, tree shapes, and cultivation models, while promoting the "one trunk, two canes" pruning method; and the enhancements aim to upgrade infrastructure, planting technology, fruit quality, brand awareness, and profitability of orchards and farmers.

The prefecture is home to 145 kiwifruit-related enterprises, cooperatives, and family farms, including eight provincial-level leading enterprises. Processed products include NFC fruit puree, fruit wine, dried fruit, and seed oil capsules. "Xiangxi Kiwifruit" has been selected as one of China's top ten regional kiwifruit brands favored by consumers. Xiangxi kiwifruit has been exported to countries such as Russia, Oman, India, and the United Arab Emirates.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn