Golden autumn brings a bountiful apple harvest as farmers busily work in orchards across the region. Villagers in Maxian Village are seen picking Huaniu apples during the peak harvest season.

During the golden autumn season, Huaniu apples have reached maturity. Since the beginning of September, Tianshui's Huaniu apples have entered their harvest period progressively from east to west, south to north, following elevation and geographical patterns from low-altitude to high-altitude areas. With superior quality and excellent market reputation, Huaniu apples continue to win consumer favor, achieving a "win-win" situation in both production volume and economic benefits.

On September 3rd, visiting Maxian Village in Boyang Town, Maiji District, expansive orchards spread across the valleys with red apples hanging heavy on branches, presenting a scene of abundant harvest. Fruit grower Zheng Shijun was busy selecting brightly colored, sweet Huaniu apples, promptly transporting them to market after picking. "I grow 18 acres of apples, and the varieties currently on the market include Wali and Russian dwarf varieties. In good years, I can earn over 200,000 yuan. This year's prices are excellent, and I expect to earn 30,000 to 40,000 yuan more than last year," Zheng Shijun said with a smile while skillfully picking apples.

Looking at the garden full of abundant fruit, Ma Liangliang, director of Maxian Village Committee, couldn't hide his joy: "Our village has 2,640 acres of orchards, mainly growing the Wali variety. This year's yield per acre increased by 300 to 500 pounds compared to last year, with each acre generating an additional 3,000 to 5,000 yuan in value."

As Huaniu apples mature in large quantities, merchants from across the country are converging on Tianshui. At the fruit trading market in Boyang Town, Maiji District, baskets of plump, fresh, and tempting Huaniu apples continuously arrive. After price negotiations between fruit growers and merchants, the apples are quickly loaded onto trucks for shipment to other regions. "I've been purchasing Huaniu apples for over 20 years. These fruits have high sweetness, and this year not only is the quality good, but the prices are also quite favorable," said Miao Dongtian, a merchant from Henan who arrived early. "So far, I've shipped two truckloads totaling over 40,000 pounds, all destined for Zhengzhou, Henan."

Boyang Town is a key fruit industry town in Tianshui City, with current orchard area exceeding 70,000 acres, including 65,000 acres of apple cultivation with an annual output value of 600 million yuan, making it the leading industry for local residents' income increase and prosperity. In 2023, to address issues of insufficient fruit trading markets and stall shortages, Maiji District invested 17 million yuan to build the Boyang Town Fruit Trading Market in Boyang Village, covering over 60 acres. This market can handle annual trading volumes of 50,000 tons with transaction values exceeding 250 million yuan.

"After the market was established, merchants and fruit growers can trade directly, effectively eliminating problems like price suppression and moisture deduction. It also solved traffic congestion issues on National Highway 310 and further increased village collective economic income," said Huo Youliang, Mayor of Boyang Town.

The Boyang Town Fruit Trading Market features 151 stalls and has attracted over 400 merchants from across the country. Beyond facilitating trade, the market has driven employment opportunities for surrounding residents. "Market activities including fruit sorting, loading, unloading, and packaging have provided employment positions for over 300 village households, cumulatively helping villagers increase income by over 60 million yuan," said Li Xiangru, Party Branch Secretary of Boyang Village.

"Maiji District currently has 414,000 acres of Huaniu apple cultivation area, which gradually entered harvest period starting September 1st, with complete harvesting expected by the end of September," said Qian Yongbo, Senior Agronomist at Maiji District Fruit Industry Development Center during market research, noting that this year's Huaniu apple production is slightly higher than last year, with purchase prices also rising.

As the city's advantageous agricultural industry, the city has consistently followed the development strategy of "expanding scale, optimizing quality, and strengthening brands" to continuously strengthen the Huaniu apple industry. In 2025, the city's total apple area remains stable at 1.312 million acres, including 864,000 acres of Huaniu apples, with projected total apple production of 2.87 million tons. These apples not only sell well in over 40 major cities nationwide but are also exported to more than 20 countries and regions including Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian, Central Asian, and West Asian markets.