Menglian in SW China's Yunnan produces over 80 percent of country's avocados

Farmers put avocados in a basket in Menglian Dai, Lahu, and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Hu Zunhui)

Farmers are racing against the clock to harvest enough avocados to meet market demands in Menglian Dai, Lahu, and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

What began as a modest 10-mu (about 0.67 hectares) experiment in 2007 has blossomed into a staggering 120,700-mu avocado plantation.

Menglian has distinguished itself as China's sole region capable of supplying high-quality domestic avocados at scale, becoming the largest avocado growing base in the country.

The output of fresh avocados in Menglian accounts for over 80 percent of the country's total. So far, 45,000 people, or nearly one-third of permanent residents in the county, are engaged in the avocado industry.