Mango Economy: Tiandong County in Guangxi known as the mango hometown

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02:44

A summertime treat for many across China is the sweet, juicy mango. One county in southern China produces hundreds of thousands of tons of mangos each year. And the fruitful business has changed the lives of many farmers and young people there. CGTN's Cui Hui'ao paid a visit to Tiandong county to learn more.

Tiandong county, China's mecca of mangoes. 45-year-old Lei Bilian has farmed mangoes on this land for over two decades. Everyday, she picks up around 300 kilos of them on her own.

LEI BILIAN MANGO FARMER "Business has been good in the past three years. Now I make around 10,000 yuan every year. I am very happy."

Lei's handpicked mangoes then get packaged at Li Jianfeng's clothing store. After years of selling just clothes, the 30-year-old joined in on the mango money-making, selling them on WeChat, China's biggest social media app.

LI JIANFENG MANGO MERCHANT "It's more lucrative. During peak season, I sell 3,000 packs of mangoes per day, and hire 100 people to help me pack the fruits."

CUI HUI'AO TIANDONG COUNTY, GUANGXI ZHUANG AUTONOMOUS REGION "For nearly a century, Tiandong county in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has become synonymous with mangoes. Nearly 20 tons of the sweet, juicy fruit are grown here each year. The fertile soil and abundant sunshine have allowed Tiandong to become one of the three major mango production regions in China."

Li now makes more than 200 thousand yuan in the two-month-long mango season alone. That's almost 30,000 US dollars more than sufficient to live comfortably in Tiandong.

LI JIANFENG MANGO MERCHANT "In Chinese we say those who live on a mountain live off the mountain. I know a lot of young people are returning to their hometowns to seize this fruit business opportunity and the natural resources we have."

As promising and lucrative as the mango business may sound, one question remains.

LEI BILIAN MANGO FARMER "I am kind of worried, as we might be the last generation of farmers. Both of my children used to help me out in the farm, but now they've grown up and do not want to become mango farmers. They enjoy city life better."

Local authorities say nearly 12 thousand Tiandong people have been lifted out of poverty thanks to this "mango economy". And, around 60 thousand locals are currently involved in the business. But given the unwillingness of the next generation to cultivate mangoes, only time will tell if the business will continue to bear fruit. Cui Hui'ao, CGTN, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.