Guizhou's chili peppers boast spicy competitiveness in the market

Zunyi's Xiazi town has a complete chili pepper industrial chain. [Photo/ddcpc website]

In recent years, the total planting area of chili peppers in Southwest China's Guizhou province has stood at around 5 million mu (333,333 hectares), and the chili peppers are popular among customers for their piquant, spiciness and mellow taste.

In 2022, Guizhou's chili pepper planting area reached 5.43 million mu, which increased by 29 percent compared to 2016. The estimated annual output volume is 7.7 million metric tons with an output value of 26 billion yuan ($3.7 billion), ranking among the top in China.

Guizhou has continued to promote improved chili pepper varieties by exploring excellent local types and introducing international ones.

Guizhou also encourages companies to innovate and enhance their competitiveness. At this year's Guizhou Zunyi International Chili Expo, chili pepper varieties from four Guizhou companies were selected among China's top 10 new and high-quality chili pepper varieties.

Xiazi town in Zunyi is home to China's only national chili pepper market, which attracted an influx of various large-scale and influential companies with strong sci-tech abilities, forming an industrial cluster with primary, secondary, and tertiary industries.

The combination of livestream and e-commerce provides a broader market for companies and helps them realize a continuous increase in chili pepper sales. At the online Guizhou Zunyi International Chili Expo in the last two years, Guizhou's featured chili pepper products were offered as prizes to increase their popularity among customers.

In the future, Guizhou aims to enhance cooperation with more chili pepper companies, universities, industrial alliances, and expos to provide better investment services and create a sound business environment.