During the golden autumn season, fields and orchards across Ruili City in Dehong Prefecture are filled with lush lemon trees covered in ripe, golden fruit, their fragrance carried on the gentle breeze. From picking to hauling, sorting, and deep processing, a lively harvest atmosphere dominates both the orchards and processing workshops.
"During the harvest period, villagers earn 400 yuan per ton for picking fruit; during the off-season, they can take on part-time work at the company. A couple working together can make seven to eight thousand yuan a month," said Gao Dayun, a villager who was skillfully picking ripe lemons with evident joy. This year, the 400-plus mu of lemons under his care have reached peak production, with expected yields of 2 tons per mu. As a caretaker, he now earns a steady income of nearly 6,000 yuan per month.
Located at an altitude of 1,300 meters with an average annual temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, Mengxiu Township benefits from ample sunlight and abundant rainfall, making it a natural haven for lemon cultivation. Leveraging these advantages, local authorities have guided villagers to develop the lemon industry, with more residents joining the planting, contracting, picking, and sorting chain. According to Xu Sanwei, deputy mayor of Mengxiu Township, the lemon planting area has now reached 28,000 mu, producing over 30,000 tons annually with a market value of 150 million yuan.
Achieving both quality production and strong sales is the key goal. In 2023, Yunnan Ruiken Weixiaole Technology Co., Ltd. established operations in Ruili, focusing on cultivating perfume lemons. Through an integrated farmer-linked mechanism combining "base contracting and farmer employment," the company has not only provided jobs for nearby villagers but also drove standardized industry development. Around the humble lemon, the locality has made significant strides in deep processing.
In the processing workshop, fresh lemons are refined into essential oils, and transformed into derivative products such as lemon drinks and lemon soap, achieving a remarkable transition from selling by weight to selling by value. "Through deep processing, each ton of non-fresh fruit generates 5,000 yuan in output value, and the processing plant provides strong support for the entire lemon industry," explained Chu Zhijun, general manager of the company. Currently, the company's lemon planting area exceeds 7,000 mu, establishing a complete industrial chain integrating cultivation, processing, and sales, which has both increased added value and strengthened the industry's resilience against risks.
The small lemon is growing into a major industry driving rural revitalization. To date, Ruili City's total lemon planting area has expanded to 32,000 mu, with 24,300 mu in production. By 2026, the city projects a total output of 26,730 tons, with total production value exceeding 200 million yuan, directly boosting farmers' per capita income by 1,678 yuan. From an unremarkable "sour fruit" to a "golden gem" that underpins farmers' income growth, Ruili City is using the lemon industry as its brush to paint a vibrant picture of agricultural efficiency, rural charm, and increased farmer earnings along the path of rural revitalization.