Jiang Quan, Chief Scientist of the National Peach Industry Technology System and Researcher at the Institute of Forestry and Fruit Trees of the Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, provided on-site guidance for the development of the jujube industry in Lin County.

Chen Yongzhen, Chairman of Shanxi Qikou Hong Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., attended an international trade show with the company’s products.

The “72 Transformations” of a Small Jujube

— The Great Magic of the Entire Industrial Chain

To develop county-level economies, industry is the key.

As the county with the largest jujube production base in the country, the jujube industry has long been a pillar industry for the local economy. In recent years, Lin County has effectively boosted both the yield and quality of jujubes by improving jujube cultivation practices, adopting new technologies, promoting the planting of new jujube varieties, and carrying out jujube variety improvement initiatives. Meanwhile, the county Party committee and government have continuously focused on enhancing the “specialty” and “excellence” aspects of the jujube industry’s transformation and upgrading, making every effort to build the “Lin County Jujube” regional public brand. They’ve also explored and developed new business models within the jujube industry, such as “jujube + tourism” and orchard-based economies. Furthermore, they’ve fostered a range of related industries, including jujube-flower honey, jujube-bud tea, shiitake mushrooms grown on jujube wood, and sweet glutinous rice dumplings filled with jujube honey. Among these, jujube-wood shiitake mushrooms and jujube-bud tea have gained great popularity among consumers in Japan, South Korea, and other markets, attracting numerous orders that cross oceans to reach their destinations.

When people think of jujubes, their memories may still be tied to those little snacks they used to enjoy while working in the fields. But today, these tiny jujubes have become a “cash cow” that’s helping villagers boost their incomes and get rich.

At the 300-mu demonstration base for high-grafting and superior variety replacement of jujube trees in Qikou Town, Lin County, Chen Yongzhen, head of Shanxi Qikou Red Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., told reporters that the jujube base was established through grafting in 2023, achieving fruit-bearing in the same year it was grafted. This year, the base is expected to produce 30,000 kilograms of jujubes, with an output value potentially exceeding 600,000 yuan. Meanwhile, to further leverage the region’s resource advantages and enhance the added value of jujube products, the company is capitalizing on its technological strengths as an agricultural enterprise to focus on building a deep-processing base for jujubes. The base will sell jujube pulp, jujube kernels, jujube powder, and other by-products separately, processing them into a variety of jujube-based food products. By making significant efforts in deep processing, the company aims to boost efficiency and increase revenue.

Lin County Jujube Bud Tea is another signature product that Lin County has been vigorously developing in recent years. Relying on its 820,000-mu jujube orchards, Lin County fully leverages the regional advantages of red jujube cultivation and, guided by the principle of "cultivation, breeding, processing, research, quality assurance, tourism, and sales," is making concerted efforts to expand the red jujube industry chain. The county supports Shanxi Mingyue Tea Co., Ltd.—a leading provincial enterprise—by preserving and passing down the nine traditional ancient techniques, while also innovating and developing a comprehensive series of high-quality health products based on jujube bud black tea. This initiative has opened up a new path for the red jujube industry to boost farmers’ incomes and prosperity.

In Miaoping Village, Lin County, Wang Qiang, the office director of Shanxi Mingyue Tea Co., Ltd., picked up a cup of amber-colored jujube-bud black tea: “This tea’s buds and leaves come from century-old jujube trees, and its production process was jointly developed in collaboration with Shanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.”

In 2020, Zao Ya Tea won the Grand Gold Award at the 105th Panama-Pacific International Exposition in the United States. Wang Qiang recalled: “At the time, I sent six cans of samples just to give it a try—but unexpectedly, the judges said, ‘It tastes like sunshine and loess!’”

Today, Mingyue Company produces 50 tons of jujube bud tea annually, boosting jujube farmers’ income by 2,000 yuan per mu. “In the past, jujube farmers used to burn the buds as waste after pruning; now, one kilogram of jujube buds sells for as much as 120 yuan.”

Lin County jujube-flower honey is also a specialty agricultural product highly favored by the market. This honey boasts high purity and excellent quality, with an amber-colored appearance. Li Jianyu, who returned to his hometown to start a business, has, with the support of the county Party committee and government, transformed the region’s abundant jujube-flower resource advantage into a competitive edge for beekeeping. In collaboration with a professional beekeeping cooperative, he founded the Lin County Beekeeping Association, where they raise bees and produce honey, royal jelly, daily chemical products, and other related items.

The extension of the industrial chain doesn't stop here.

Lin County jujube-wood shiitake mushrooms represent another specialty industry that has developed by leveraging the abundant jujube-wood resources. Through the establishment of scientific standards for the production, processing, and marketing of jujube-wood shiitake mushrooms, Chengzhuang Town in Lin County is making every effort to build a strong regional public brand. Currently, Chengzhuang Town has constructed numerous shiitake mushroom greenhouses and mushroom-related enterprises (cooperatives), with an annual cultivation capacity of nearly 30 million mushroom sticks. The products are sold across the country.

At the Tuzhan Town production line of Shanxi Zao’erhong Liquor Industry Co., Ltd., jujube fruits are being transformed into rich and flavorful jujube wine. “Our newly developed jujube-flavored baijiu combines the distinctive taste of baijiu with the nutritional benefits of jujubes,” said Gao Guisheng, the company’s head.

From fresh jujubes to jujube sprout tea, jujube flower honey, and jujube wine, and from red jujube cookies to red jujube-based skincare products, Lin County’s red jujubes have achieved “full-industry-chain development and value-chain enhancement.” According to a responsible official from the Lin County Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the county has now established a complete industrial chain encompassing red jujube cultivation, processing, sales, and tourism, with over 100 different product varieties and an increase in added value by a factor of three to five. Lin County’s red jujubes, Lin County millet, Qingtang zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), jujube-wood shiitake mushrooms, jujube sprout tea, and jujube flower honey have been included in the National List of Famous, Special, High-Quality, and New Agricultural Products.

A national-level agricultural expert once commented: “Lin County has made the most of every part of the jujube—utilizing not only the fruit but also the buds, flowers, and even the wood itself. This effectively multiplies the value of a single jujube tree by ten. It’s a quintessential example of the ‘sixth industry’—1 × 2 × 3 = 6: agriculture combined with processing and services, resulting in exponentially higher economic benefits.”

Famous local specialties meet technology.

— A New Stage for Jinzi Products

In the office of Li Jianjun, director of the Lin County Jujube Industry Service Center, a test report was repeatedly perused by visitors coming and going. According to an appraisal conducted by the Fruit and Seedling Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Testing Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lin County jujubes contain 15 types of amino acids, 10 types of vitamins, and 14 types of trace elements. The fresh jujubes have a vitamin C content 60 times higher than apples and 10 times higher than citrus fruits. In particular, they are rich in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), with a concentration as high as 210 milligrams per 100 grams.

“This is nature’s gift to Lin County,” Li Jianjun said, pointing to the data in the report with a tone filled with pride.

However, effective brand building cannot do without technological support.

In the experimental field of the Lin County Jujube Research Institute, researcher Liu Weijun is leading his team in conducting trials to improve jujube trees. “The ‘Jin Suan No. 2’ sour jujube we’ve developed has a vitamin C content of 719 mg per 100 grams—three times that of ordinary sour jujubes,” Liu Weijun said, pointing to a jujube tree laden with fruit. He added that through variety improvement, it’s possible to enhance the stress resistance and quality of red jujubes.

In the e-commerce industrial park of Lin County, the livestream room of Shanxi Baozhushan Food Co., Ltd. is bustling with activity. The livestreamers are holding dates stuffed with walnuts and introducing them to viewers: “Folks, take a look—this is a specialty product from Lin County: jujube dates stuffed with walnuts—sweet but not overly rich…” Orders keep popping up on the screen one after another.

“We have stores on platforms such as Taobao, JD.com, and Pinduoduo,” said Li Jianjun. Thanks to e-commerce channels, Lin County red dates have shifted from being sold by the jin to being sold by the piece, significantly boosting their premium pricing potential.

The government provides the platform, and enterprises take center stage. Lin County has also established two jujube distribution centers and five drying parks, attracting more than 10 express delivery and logistics companies. This has created a multi-dimensional network featuring “parks + live-streaming + community group buying,” with an average daily parcel volume of 6,000 orders. Over the past period, more than 40 local e-commerce brands—such as “Wang Xiaobang” and “Baozhushan”—have emerged, directly and indirectly supporting employment for 20,000 people.

A series of initiatives have continuously enhanced the brand value of Linxian jujubes, and the regional public brand “Linxian Jujube” has become a shining hallmark of Shanxi’s agricultural products.

It can be said that Lin County has innovated three models to promote the development of the jujube industry. One of these is the innovative “Company + Cooperative + Farmer” model, in which cooperatives take over land from farmers, implementing intensive and large-scale management operations. They provide farmers with technical support for agricultural production and carry out preliminary processing. Meanwhile, companies leverage e-commerce channels to promote and sell agricultural products, enabling enterprises to reap profits and farmers to increase their incomes. To date, a total of 120,000 mu of jujube orchards have been transferred through this model, with 80,000 mu under entrusted management, benefiting more than 10,000 households by generating income from land transfer and management. Another innovative model is the “Industrial Park + Company + Farmer” approach, which continuously improves the supporting facilities and service functions of the Lin County E-commerce Industrial Park and the Lin County Digital Economy Entrepreneurship Park. Currently, three industry associations and 86 e-commerce enterprises have set up operations there, helping 2,977 people who had previously been living in poverty to escape poverty, providing 389 employment opportunities, and hosting over 60 livestreaming sales events, with annual sales reaching an average of 30 million yuan. The third innovative model is the “Internet + Agriculture + Tourism” approach, which leverages technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, integrating the county’s distinctive rural agriculture and tourism resources to foster the integrated development of e-commerce, agricultural product sales, and rural leisure tourism.

Today, the ancient millennium-old trees not only bear dates—they also offer villagers in the mountains a brand-new way of life: mobile phones have become the new farm tools, and live-streaming has transformed into the new agricultural work. With just one click, the sweet fragrance of dates—sweeter than honey—travels over mountains and across valleys, reaching your palate within 24 hours, straight from branch to tongue. This is a two-way journey between the land and the times, and it’s the most vivid testament to rural revitalization.

Challenge Breakthrough, Look Toward the Future

— The Poetic Distance by the Yellow River’s Banks

“The development of the jujube industry in Lin County is a vivid example of the rural revitalization strategy being put into practice at the county level,” said He Runping, a professor at Shanxi Agricultural University. As the technical advisor for Lin County’s jujube industry, he has witnessed the transformation of Lin County’s jujubes—from a “local specialty” to a “branded product.”

He Runping believes that the development of the Linxian jujube brand hinges on three key lessons: First, prioritize quality above all else and establish a standardized system covering everything from cultivation to processing; second, emphasize scientific and technological innovation and collaborate with universities and research institutions to enhance the added value of the product; third, promote the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, enabling the jujube industry to achieve “seamless connectivity” across these sectors.

Lu Juan, director of the China Agricultural Brand Research Center, pointed out that Linxian jujubes have seized the opportunity presented by upgrading consumer preferences and built a distinctive brand through differentiated positioning. “From geographical indications to corporate brands and then to e-commerce brands, Linxian has established a multi-level branding system that is worth learning from,” she said.

Despite remarkable achievements, Lin County’s red date industry still faces challenges. “The main issue is that the industrial chain is not yet fully developed, and the proportion of sophisticated processing remains low,” Li Jianjun admitted frankly. Constrained by funding and technology, most enterprises are still stuck at the primary processing stage, resulting in a limited supply of high-end products.

“Our goal this year is to continue enhancing the branding of Linxian jujube and strengthening our capacity to supply mid-to-high-end products,” said Li Jianjun. Ultimately, we aim to build a jujube industry cluster that is “number one in China and renowned worldwide.”

To this end, Lin County has formulated an implementation plan for the “Strong County” Project for Premium Agricultural Products for 2024–2025, which aims to achieve breakthroughs in three key areas: First, build standardized cultivation bases to enhance the quality of raw materials; second, cultivate leading enterprises to drive industrial upgrading; and third, develop international brands to expand market opportunities.

To address the challenges of fragmented development in the jujube industry and to promote the transformation of traditional agriculture toward modernization, Lin County has also issued the "Lin County Implementation Plan for Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Jujube Economic Forests 2025" (hereinafter referred to as the "Implementation Plan"), launching a 20,000-mu "One Household Field" project aimed at enhancing quality and efficiency. Under a standard of 200 yuan per mu per year, jujube farmers are encouraged to engage in land transfer to achieve large-scale development and centrally implement standardized, mechanized operations covering "four unifications": unified cultivation practices, fertilization, pesticide application, and pruning—thereby boosting the economic benefits of jujube orchards.

Moreover, according to the Implementation Plan, Lin County will aim to build itself into “the largest jujube production, processing, and sales base in the province.” Grounded in the present while looking toward the future, the county will adopt innovative approaches and take a multi-pronged strategy, focusing on comprehensive management of jujube economic forests, processing and sales, industrial extension, science and technology support, and publicity and promotion. By firmly advancing efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of jujube economic forests, Lin County will ensure that farmers continue to enjoy stable and sustained income growth. In 12 key jujube-producing townships—Babao, Kehu, Quyu, Congluoyu, Qikou, Sanjiao, Linjiaping, Liujiayihui, Anjiiazhuang, Shibaotou, Tuba, and Leijiashi—the county will carry out quality and efficiency improvement measures on 2,770 mu of jujube economic forests, construct 20 mu of facility-based jujube orchards, graft and improve 4,100 mu (including sour jujubes), and conduct pest and disease control on over 50,000 mu. Centered on the development of the jujube industry and helping jujube farmers increase their incomes, the county will promote jujube insurance products, explore the establishment of a natural disaster prevention and control mechanism for jujubes, and foster high-quality development of Lin County’s jujube industry, thereby ensuring that the interests of jujube farmers are fully protected.

So, what are the next challenges for the Lin County jujube brand?

During the interviews, many professionals identified three key areas: First, in terms of category perception, consumers have a strong overall understanding of “Shanxi Red Dates,” but their awareness of the distinctive features of “Lin County Red Dates” remains vague. It’s crucial to strengthen the appeal of selling points such as “Yellow River Beach Dates” and “High-Cycle Adenosine Phosphate.” Second, regarding channel balance, while online sales are experiencing explosive growth, offline high-end supermarkets and hypermarkets still lack sufficient penetration. It’s recommended to benchmark against premium food brands and enter specialty supermarkets. Third, in terms of cultural empowerment, Lin County boasts 13 traditional Chinese villages and three iconic red tourism sites. By developing an experiential economy centered on “Red Dates + Cultural Tourism,” the county can create a brand advocacy effect among tourists—much like New Zealand’s “Kiwi Fruit Tour”—where visitors become ambassadors for the brand.

……

“A single red date carries the dream of a moderately prosperous life held by the people of Lin County,” said Li Jianjun. The development of Lin County’s red-date industry is a microcosm of Shanxi’s implementation of its “specialty” and “high-quality” strategy, and it also serves as a vivid example of rural revitalization.

As the night deepened, a massive blueprint on the wall of the Lin County Jujube Industry Service Center stood out vividly: from the jujube tourism belt along the Yellow River to the processing park surrounding the county seat, and then to a nationwide sales network... A grand vision for a jujube industry worth hundreds of billions of yuan is unfolding. Lin County’s jujubes are now stepping from the banks of the Yellow River onto an even wider global stage. (Xinhua Net)