Trees are laden with kiwi fruit at Yiyuan Farm. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The kiwi fruit at Yiyuan Farm in Xiezhuang village of Hai'an, Nantong, Jiangsu province, is now ripe enough to be picked, said Zong Yaping, who manages the farm.

The picking season this year starts on Aug 20 and will last until the end of October. The kiwi fruit at Yiyuan Farm is mainly sold in downtown Nantong, Shanghai, and other surrounding places, according to Zong.

Zong has been optimistic about the kiwi fruit market, and in 2017 he decided to learn kiwi fruit planting techniques from experts in Sichuan, Hunan and Guizhou provinces.

He then invested more than 100,000 yuan ($14,483) piloting the planting of the fruit. "Since I planted kiwi fruit several years ago, I have had a stable income and life is getting increasingly better," noted Zong.

To ensure a high and steady yield, the farmer has been learning advanced growing techniques from experts and reading relevant books. The yield of kiwi fruit and the benefits brought to the Yiyuan Farm are increasing, according to Zong.

"Yiyuan Farm is capable of producing about 1,000 kilograms of kiwi fruit per mu, which is quite a good harvest," noted Zong.

While generating wealth, Zong has also helped other farmers in Xiezhuang increase their incomes by offering them jobs.

Zong also said that he plans to increase the planting area and encourage more local farmers to join him in an effort to build a kiwi fruit-based industrial chain integrating production, processing, and marketing.