Move over, durians and passion fruit! 🚚 A juicy underdog from China’s northern deserts—crabapples—is now winning hearts (and taste buds) in Southeast Asia. Meet the sweet, cold-resistant fruit turning sandy soils into gold for local farmers.
In the vast Horqin Sandy Land of Inner Mongolia, Teng Dayong tends to 12.7 hectares of crabapple trees. 🌳 This year, his orchard will yield over 2,000 kg of fruit per acre, netting him $1,418 USD per acre. \"Half my harvest is already booked for export to Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines,\" he says with a grin.
But this isn’t just a snack story—it’s an eco-revival. Decades ago, poplar trees here guzzled water and offered little profit. Enter science: a drought-tolerant crabapple hybrid developed by local experts that stops desertification while boosting incomes. 💡 Today, Tongliao City grows 350,000 acres of these climate warriors, producing 100,000 tons annually.
The 🚛 cold-chain journey? Crabapples truck to Dalian port, sail south, and hit SE Asian shelves in 10 days. Partnering with Malaysian entrepreneur Zeny Yong, Teng’s new export biz has already shipped 100+ tons this year—even reaching the UAE!
With a 1,000-ton cold storage hub keeping freshness until spring, these ruby-red gems are proof that sustainability can be both sweet and profitable. 🏆 Who knew deserts could taste this good?
