** Ruoqiang County: Jujube Industry Promotes "Sweet Cause"

It was midsummer, strolling along the country road of Ruoqiang County, looking out, the eyes were full of jujube trees with tender yellow flowers, swarms of bees flying in the jujube forest to gather flowers and make honey, rows of beehives arranged neatly in the forest, buzzing bees flying in and out, constantly busy.

"Ruoqiang jujube nectar quality is good, every year from the beginning of June to the end of July is jujube flowering, nectar source is sufficient, is the best honey collection period, but also our busiest time." On June 26, Zhang Jinhui, a bee farmer who is releasing bees and honey in the jujube garden of Tieganlik Township, Ruoqiang County, told the author that his 420 boxes of bees came here to pick jujube flowers from May 25. It is estimated that by the end of July, 4000 kilograms of jujube honey can be produced, realizing an income increase of 160,000 yuan.

Zhang Jinhui said: "According to the preferential policies issued by Ruoqiang County in 2009, beekeepers raise more than 100 boxes of bees, each box can receive 10 yuan subsidy, excluding beekeeping income every year, but also from Ruoqiang County government to receive 2300 yuan subsidy." Zhang Jinhui is Changji people, in recent years Ruoqiang County jujube industry rapid development let him see business opportunities, in 2009, he moved his registered permanent residence from Changji City to Ruoqiang County Tieganlik Township, specialized in bee breeding, only one year income more than 200,000 yuan. Today, the family moved into more than 200 square meters of housing, life is sweeter than honey.

According to Su Yonghong, a technician of Ruoqiang County Agricultural Technology Center, the large-scale development of jujube industry in Ruoqiang County provides high-quality honey source for bee breeding. Honeybee collection at flowering stage brings considerable economic income to beekeepers. Meanwhile, the fruit setting rate of jujube trees can be improved. The yield of jujube trees pollinated by bees can be increased by more than 20%, which has obvious promotion effect on improving the quality of jujube fruits.

With the development of high-quality ecological jujube fruit industry in Ruoqiang County, beekeeping has been born, which brings sweet life like jujube nectar to local people. Up to now, there are 18 professional bee farmers in Ruoqiang County, and the number of beekeeping has reached more than 2000 groups. In order to improve the organization degree of beekeeping industry, the county has established 2 professional beekeeping cooperatives. At present, the annual output of high-quality jujube nectar is about 40 tons, and the output value can reach more than 1.6 million yuan.