In Caojia Village, Pingba Town, Guzhang County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, oil tea fruits are hanging on the branches. Villagers carry baskets to pick oil tea fruits.
Guzhang County has developed its specialty agriculture, boasting 205,000 mu (about 13,666.67 hectares) of tea plantations and an additional 140,000 mu (about 9,333.33 hectares) of oil tea resources.
The county has leveraged the exemplary role of leading enterprises, and actively established high-standard, contiguous oil tea planting demonstration bases. Farmers have been motivated to participate in the development of the oil tea industry and enterprises, village-level cooperative organizations, family farms, and large-scale growers have been guided to engage in the construction of industrial bases, in a bid to promote the large-scale cultivation, standardized production, and branded operation of the oil tea industry.
To strengthen services and support, the county’s agricultural department has dispatched professional technicians to provide on-site guidance for farmers on oil tea planting and pruning. Simultaneously, the county has also provided training on the planting, production, processing, and market sales of oil tea.
The county has established the Oil Tea Association and 39 professional oil tea cooperatives, with over 40 households managing more than 200 mu (about 13.33 hectares) of oil tea. Several oil tea Villages with a production value of oil tea exceeding one million yuan have emerged, such as Caojia Village in Pingba Town, and Zuokuba Village and Yangjiahe Village in Duanlong Town.
The county has developed regional oil tea brands like “Apushan,” “Old Tea Tree,” and “High Mountain”. Presently, Guizhang County has 107,800 mu (about 7,186.67 hectares) of oil tea orchards that can be harvested.
In 2022, the county’s total oil tea fruit production reached 40,832 tons, with tea oil production of 638 tons and a total output value of 76.56 million yuan.
