In Yijun, the value of an apple is being redefined. It is no longer just a precious commodity for fruit growers, but a product that threads through a comprehensive supply chain integrating technology, logistics, and digital systems. The mastermind behind this transformation is Yao Mingqiang, a local native.
Empowering an Industry Through Leadership
Yaosheng Town in Yijun County, Tongchuan City, is located in the prime apple-growing region of the Weibei dry plateau. The town's apple cultivation area spans nearly 28,000 mu, with over 90% of local farmers engaged in apple farming, and more than 90% of their income derived from this industry. Yao Mingqiang was among the first locally to recognize that "going it alone leads nowhere." The Yijun County Xinyuan Apple Professional Cooperative, which he spearheaded, has now become one of the province's top 100 exemplary farmer cooperatives. The cooperative operates on a "company + cooperative + farmer" model, purchasing apples at a price 0.2 yuan per jin above the market rate while providing free agricultural supplies and training. To date, the cooperative has distributed a cumulative 800,000 yuan in profits to its members, boosted incomes for 60 households across five villages in the town, and created over 5,000 seasonal job opportunities for surrounding villagers.
Technological Innovation Revitalizes Old Orchards
Visiting Yao Mingqiang's demonstration orchard reveals a scene where IoT sensors monitor soil moisture, pest conditions, and meteorological data in real-time, turning smartphones into new farming tools. As Yao Mingqiang puts it: "We used to rely on the heavens for our harvest; now we rely on the screen." In recent years, Yijun County has vigorously promoted a "three-new" orchard establishment model involving "new varieties, new rootstocks, and new methods." Yao Mingqiang was the first to take the plunge, facing pressure to cut down some old trees and replant with superior new varieties like 'Qincui' and 'Ruixue'. Initially, villagers questioned the effort, seeing only investment and no returns in the first two years. By the third year, the new trees bore fruit that was uniform in size, vibrant in color, and high in sugar content, fetching premium prices from buyers and significantly increasing per-mu profitability. Convinced, more and more villagers followed suit. Today, the cooperative manages 1,060 mu of apple demonstration orchards, including 560 mu of high-standard dwarfing rootstock orchards, and operates a 3,000-ton fruit and vegetable cold storage facility.
Addressing Weaknesses to Command Premium Prices
"The worry wasn't about growing them well, but about storing them," was a common sentiment. With the apple harvest concentrated in a short period and no cold storage available in the past, farmers were forced to sell en masse, often at low prices even for good fruit when market conditions were unfavorable. With support from Suqian-Shaanxi collaboration funds, including 1 million yuan in matching aid from Dafeng District, the cooperative built a controlled atmosphere storage facility. Apples now enter the cold chain immediately after picking, allowing for off-season sales at prices double those during the peak harvest glut. Refrigerated trucks drive directly to the orchards, drastically reducing spoilage rates. Now, with assistance from the Fengyi (Dafeng-Yijun) Work Team under the East-West collaboration framework, Yao Mingqiang's cooperative sells over 5 million yuan worth of Yijun agricultural specialties annually. In 2024, sales of Yijun specialties to the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions exceeded 20 million yuan. The same year, the "Yijun Apple" geographical indication certification trademark passed review by the China National Intellectual Property Administration. The total output value of Yijun County's apple industry has reached 1.2 billion yuan, with the per capita net income of fruit growers hitting 18,400 yuan.
Giving Back: An Industry's Warmth Extends to the Community
As the industry expands, Yao Mingqiang thinks more about "how to make everyone's life sweeter along the way." The cooperative has established long-term benefit mechanisms for the community, regularly providing free agricultural supplies and on-site technical training to villagers. It implements measures like guaranteed purchase prices above market rates and profit-sharing from off-season cold storage sales. Cumulatively, it has distributed over 700,000 yuan in supplies and dividends to households lifted out of poverty. Ahead of this year's International Children's Day, Yao Mingqiang led the Xinyuan Apple Cooperative to visit Yijun County's No. 1 Primary School, donating 10,000 yuan in special educational funds and a hundred boxes of premium apples. The funds are designated for intangible cultural heritage programs and youth education on revolutionary history. Simultaneously, he delivered 5,000 yuan worth of sports equipment, supplies, and athletic wear to children at Yaosheng Town Central Primary School. "Apples are sweet, but not as sweet as the children's smiles," he said. From the fields to the schoolyard, from "golden fruit" to "warm-hearted benefactor," Yao Mingqiang's actions exemplify what it means to "prosper without forgetting one's hometown and develop with an eye on the future."
Charting a Broader Path Forward
Looking ahead, Yao Mingqiang's vision is clearer: expand the "three-new" model demonstration orchard by a thousand mu, develop deep-processed products like apple chips and fermented juice, and pilot drone plant protection and blockchain traceability systems. He is promoting a "shareholder-style cooperative" model, encouraging farmers to contribute land or labor as equity, transforming more locals from "workers" into "partners." As autumn approaches, apples on the Yijun plateau are accumulating their final sugars. When the red fruit lights up the loess highlands, people will see not just a bountiful harvest, but a new, widening path for rural revitalization—one that breaks through with integrated supply chains and elevates quality with intelligence. The story of Yao Mingqiang and his fellow villagers continues to be written.
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