Xinjiang is expanding its role as one of China’s key winter blueberry production hubs by betting on large-scale greenhouse cultivation, cold chain infrastructure and premium fruit quality. A new project in Moyu County worth RMB 660 million ($95.5 million) illustrates how protected cultivation can help build stable off-season supply at a time when demand for high-quality blueberries continues to outpace availability, EastFruit reports, citing BlueberriesConsulting.
China’s blueberry market is gaining a powerful new player in the winter segment. In Xinjiang, one of the region’s largest protected-cultivation blueberry projects has officially begun operations, reinforcing the region’s position as an important supplier of premium fruit during the off-season.
The project is being developed by Xinjiang Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Investment (Group) Co. Ltd. in the Modern Agricultural Industrial Park of Moyu County, Hotan Prefecture, in southwestern Xinjiang. The total investment is estimated at RMB 660 million, or around $95.5 million. At the core of the project are 300 high-tech greenhouses, making greenhouse production the central pillar of the region’s new blueberry market strategy.
For the international berry business, the significance of this project lies not only in its scale, but also in its development model. This is not merely an expansion of planted area. It is the creation of an integrated industrial chain that includes greenhouse cultivation, water and energy supply systems, transport infrastructure, as well as professional grading and cold chain logistics facilities. At a time when the global berry market increasingly depends on supply precision, consistent quality and controlled seasonality, projects like this are becoming particularly noteworthy.
Construction of the complex began in August 2025. To date, planting has already been completed in 126 greenhouses, while the entire project is expected to be finished by the end of March 2026. The first large-scale harvest is scheduled for November. Once fully operational, all 300 greenhouses are expected to deliver more than 1,500 tonnes of blueberries annually, with the total annual production value estimated at RMB 120 million, or $17.4 million.
Greenhouse production as a tool for seasonal control
The project’s main competitive advantage is its ability to target the most profitable market window. Blueberries from Xinjiang are marketed from late December through mid- or late April, with the supply window extending up to five months. For growers, this means entering the market when supply is still limited and prices remain high.
This is precisely where the greenhouse model creates added value. In the international berry industry, protected cultivation is increasingly used not only to safeguard crops, but also as a tool for managing production timing, quality and commercial positioning. In Xinjiang’s case, greenhouses allow producers to strengthen their presence during the winter period, when demand for fresh blueberries remains strong and alternative supply is still constrained.
Other Chinese production regions operate in different supply windows. Yunnan ships blueberries from November to May, although its peak falls in the early and middle part of that period, and quality may decline after March. Sichuan and Guizhou enter the market in May and June, when competition from other fruits intensifies. Northeastern and eastern Chinese regions market larger volumes in summer, typically at more accessible prices. Against this backdrop, Xinjiang, supported by greenhouse production, occupies a more protected and commercially attractive niche.
A strategy built around premium quality
Another important pillar of the strategy is positioning in the premium segment. Xinjiang is emphasizing the region’s climatic advantages which, combined with greenhouse cultivation, are expected to ensure consistently high fruit quality. The region receives an average of 2,965 hours of sunshine per year, while the difference between daytime and night-time temperatures reaches 15–20°C, supporting sugar accumulation and flavour development.
According to available data, sugar content in the berries is estimated at 14–16%, higher than in a significant share of output from other growing areas in China. The project also highlights the role of irrigation with meltwater from the Tianshan Mountains, as well as the region’s relatively low industrial pollution levels, which are believed to contribute positively to berry size, firmness and juiciness.
An additional marketing argument is the higher anthocyanin content, estimated to be around 20% greater than in part of the other blueberries grown in China. Together, these characteristics provide the foundation for premium positioning: Xinjiang’s blueberries are being promoted not as a mass-market product, but as a high-quality off-season offer with enhanced eating quality and higher consumer value.
High prices support the business case
The market is already showing a willingness to pay for such fruit. According to the project data, wholesale prices for Xinjiang blueberries range between RMB 80 and 120 per kg ($11.6–17.4), while retail prices reach RMB 160 to 240 per kg ($23.1–34.7). That is roughly two to three times higher than the price of conventional blueberries on the Chinese market.
At the same time, demand continues to exceed supply, which is especially important when assessing the prospects of the greenhouse model. High capital costs for protected cultivation require strong price support, and in this case the market appears to be providing it, at least for now. For growers, this translates into significant profitability. In Shache County, for example, net income per mu is expected to exceed RMB 50,000, while during the peak production period returns from that area may be 10 times higher than cotton and 15 times higher than corn. “The global blueberry industry is moving increasingly toward controlled production, extended seasonal windows and premiumisation. What matters more and more is not only hectares and gross output, but the ability to supply fruit at the right time, with the right quality and with minimal logistical risk. In this sense, the Xinjiang project reflects a broader trend: greenhouse blueberries are becoming not merely an agricultural technology, but a market strategy. They make it possible to build winter supply programmes, sustain premium prices and exercise greater control over commercial fruit quality,” says Kateryna Zverieva, Development Director of the Ukrainian Horticultural Association.
If the Moyu project reaches its stated targets, Xinjiang will not only strengthen its position in China’s domestic market, but could also become an important benchmark for other regions considering greenhouse blueberry production as a way to capture attractive niches in the winter and off-season segments.
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