The joint construction of agricultural industrial parks in the Haizhu district of Guangzhou – capital of Southwest China's Guangdong province – and in Guiding county in Guizhou is widely said to have achieved great results.

Of particular note, the cultivation of prickly pears and high mountain peaches has become key development projects in both parks.

The prickly pear sector has become a big industry in the modern agricultural industrial park. [Photo/Yangcheng Evening News]

The Haizhu·Guiding modern agricultural industrial park in Guiding covers a planned area of 50,000 hectares. Guiding has introduced 15 agricultural processing enterprises, including four prickly pear production enterprises.

Prickly pears are small yellow pears covered in small thorns, which can be made into dried fruit and jam through processing. The prickly pear products made by Guizhou Jiakai Food Company have entered markets in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, creating more than 800 jobs for local farmers.

The scale of planting of high mountain peaches in Guiding has solved the demand for local employment and increased  incomes in the surrounding villages. Chen Gangbo, a cadre assisting Guizhou from Haizhu, said he established contact with the Jiangnan Fruit Wholesale Market in Guangzhou and hoped to promote Guiding high mountain peaches through more sales channels, creating more income sources for local farmers.

The yellow peach industry is driving local development. [Photo/Yangcheng Evening News]

Haizhu district has invested 125.43 million yuan ($17.23 million) in funds for east-west cooperation, dispatching four Party and government officials and 56 professional and technical personnel to provide assistance in Guiding County. At the same time, Guiding county has sent 16 Party and government officials and 42 professional and technical personnel to learn and communicate in Haizhu district.

Haizhu also has established stable sales channels between Guiding county's agricultural products and companies in Guangzhou through exhibition platforms and online platforms – resulting in sales of over 279.42 million yuan for Guiding's agricultural and sideline products and specialty handicrafts until now – significantly increasing the incomes of local farmers.