Currently, thousands of acres of table grapes on the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains in Ningxia are in their harvest season. Local growers are seizing the opportunity to harvest the ripe grapes and supply them to markets across the country.
The sprawling vineyards are lush with vines. More than a dozen varieties, including Red Globe, Muscat, Victoria, and Zana, are ripening one after another. Workers, in pairs or small groups, move through the trellises with shears in hand, picking, sorting, weighing and packing the grapes. The freshly harvested grapes are shipped the same day to markets across Ningxia, as well as to Inner Mongolia, Gansu, and Shaanxi.
Located at a latitude of 38.5 degrees north, the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains are within the golden planting belt. Abundant sunshine, sharp temperature variations, and sandy loam soil rich in minerals provide excellent conditions for grape cultivation. Growing grapes has become a leading industry, driving income growth for farmers and workers and contributing to rural revitalization.