Maturing red bayberries hang in abundance on branches. [Photo/Tide News]

As the red bayberry harvest season draws near, the number of export registration applications from red bayberry farms in Qingtian county — in Lishui, East China's Zhejiang province — is significantly increasing.

In the orchards of Zhejiang Shizhuxia Agricultural Development Company, located in Beishan town in Qingtian, orchard manager Lin Haibo is busy tending the maturing red bayberries.

With over a decade of experience in bayberry cultivation, Lin has expanded his orchard to over 33 hectares. This year, he plans to apply for export orchard registration, designating a 6.67-hectare core area specifically for high-quality red bayberry exports to international markets.

"Our primary sales regions are in Europe, with some orders from Dubai and increasing demand from Southeast Asia," Lin said. The Qingtian Chambers of Commerce in Slovakia and Italy have already placed orders for 500 boxes of red bayberries.

To ensure the quality of red bayberries in international markets, Lishui Customs conducts thorough on-site inspections of orchards applying for export base registration. Only orchards with customs-approved export credentials can proceed with exports.

"Before registering an export base, soil samples must be tested, and before harvesting, reports on heavy metals and pesticide residues must be submitted," explained Yuan Mingzhu, an official at Lishui Customs.

Currently, Lishui hosts 12 registered fresh fruit export orchards, with six new applications underway.