In Qiyang, Hunan Province, there’s a palpable excitement surrounding the anticipated harvest from 636,100 acres of oil tea trees. As I stroll through the Tangjiashan oil tea base, it’s impossible not to notice the trees heavy with fruit.
At the base, three-meter-high irrigation spray heads spin, efficiently distributing water and nutrients. Local villagers are hard at work tending to the oil tea trees, weeding and collecting fallen branches. Wang Bingxian, the general manager of Tangjiashan Oil Tea Development Co., Ltd., shared, “This year, thanks to our integrated water and fertilizer management system, we’re expecting an impressive yield of 1,500 to 2,000 pounds per acre—double what we’ve seen in the past. Our aim is to retrofit over 13,000 acres of oil tea with this system to greatly boost productivity and promote high-standard development within the industry.”
The integrated water-fertilizer approach is a cutting-edge technique that merges irrigation, fertilization, and pest control into a single system. By employing pipes and spray heads for accurate, timely, and uniform application, it effectively meets the moisture and nutrient requirements of the oil tea trees while also reducing labor costs. This innovation not only enhances fruit yield but also increases the oil content of the harvested seeds.
Qiyang has made remarkable strides in this area, having established 21,000 acres of integrated water and fertilizer facilities that utilize modern techniques like drip irrigation and micro-spraying. This progress addresses the water and fertilizer supply challenges that previously hindered oil tea cultivation, making smart irrigation systems essential for maintaining consistent high yields.
In the processing area of Qiyang’s modern agricultural industry park, Hunan Jinbo Oil Tea Co., Ltd. is gearing up for its first oil tea processing season. They are busy inspecting equipment and organizing supplies, having invested 280 million yuan to create a production line that can deep process 5,000 tons of tea oil each year.
Zhou Yongbin, a team leader at the company, commented, “All of our production equipment has been fully tested and is ready to go. We’ve got our packaging materials prepared, and now we’re just waiting for the oil tea seeds to arrive so we can start purchasing, processing, and producing.”
Known as the “Hometown of Oil Tea,” Qiyang exemplifies a national model for the oil tea industry, with an impressive expanse of 636,100 acres of oil tea forest. This year, it’s expected to yield over 20,000 tons of tea oil, with a total economic value projected to exceed 2.5 billion yuan.
Oil tea is a unique woody oilseed plant in China, crucial for food security and rural revitalization. The thriving oil tea industry in Qiyang is undoubtedly bolstered by strong support from local government policies and initiatives.
In recent years, Qiyang has established a clear strategic framework for oil tea production under the “Three Groups and Four Leads” initiative, complemented by a comprehensive development plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The focus remains on enhancing base construction, boosting deep processing capabilities, and implementing a series of reward-based policies to support the entire oil tea supply chain.
Currently, Qiyang hosts 15 large-scale oil tea enterprises, including one recognized as a national-level agri-industrialization leader and four at the provincial level. Moreover, there are 26 specialized cooperative organizations, two well-known Chinese trademarks, and eight quality grain and oil brands endorsed under the “Hunan Tea Oil” public brand. All signs indicate that the oil tea industry in Qiyang is on a vibrant and promising growth trajectory.
