On November 26, the mulberry base operated by HEYTEA in Jinzao Town, Chaoyang District, Shantou City, received the designation of "Sustainable Cultivation Demonstration Base." This recognition, awarded by the "Agricultural Sustainable Circulation Development Project" team—jointly initiated by the China Chain Store & Franchise Association (CCFA), the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the Swedish Environmental Research Institute—acknowledges HEYTEA’s efforts in advancing sustainable cultivation practices at the Shantou mulberry base. Through contract farming, the initiative has also empowered small-scale farmers, promoting rural prosperity.

On the day of the award, the SAFE Project team, along with leaders and experts from the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences and government departments in Shenzhen and Shantou, conducted an on-site visit to the mulberry orchard. During the discussion, both parties had a detailed discussion on the control practices and challenges in the process of mulberry planting. They combined cutting-edge professional research results with HEYTEA's accumulated experience in large-scale management in the field, providing practical guidance for HEYTEA's further exploration of sustainable mulberry planting and quality improvement. Hui Zhou, Associate Researcher from the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, commended HEYTEA’s commitment to improving fresh fruit quality at the source, emphasizing its significance in accelerating the improvement of primary agricultural product safety and sustainability, in alignment with the <Agricultural Product Quality Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China>. Zhenjiang Wang, from the Mulberry Research Team at the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, praised HEYTEA’s role in facilitating the transition and upgrading of local farming practices. The designation of HEYTEA’s mulberry base as a "Sustainable Cultivation Demonstration Base" exemplifies the positive influence of market and branding efforts on upstream supply chains.

As one of the first initiators of the SAFE project, HEYTEA has been continuously following and participating in the project promotion. This year, based on long-term cooperation and a full understanding of mulberry cultivation, HEYTEA has built a large-scale mulberry order agricultural cooperative planting base in the new tea beverage industry. At the same time, HEYTEA has actively explored the deep management of mulberry production areas, and introduced the concept of sustainable planting in accordance with the requirements of the CCFA's "Evaluation Requirements for Edible Agricultural Product Supplier Production Plants" group label. During the same period, HEYTEA conducted sustainable planting public welfare training and issued project training certificates to more than 300 farmers, agricultural workers, and cooperative staff in the mulberry base. Therefore, after research and evaluation by the project team, it is believed that the production area of HEYTEA mulberries has established a series of systematic systems and standards as a guarantee for the management of fresh fruit bases, such as traceability of food safety management, standardization of fresh fruit procurement, monitoring of pesticide residues before harvesting, product handling after harvesting, and risk control related to food safety. At the same time, HEYTEA Mulberry Fresh Fruit Base actively cooperated with the feedback from the project evaluation expert group, and therefore awarded its mulberry base the title of "Promoting Sustainable Planting Demonstration Base", becoming one of the representative demonstration enterprises in the project.

The mulberry production area located in Jinzao Town, Shantou is surrounded by mountains, and the soil and water quality meet the standards for tea cultivation. The ideal climate environment is more conducive to the accumulation of sugar and stable quality of mulberries. Starting from August this year, the HEYTEA supply chain team conducted on-site visits to 10 major villages in Shantou, identified the first batch of mulberry cooperative orchards covering nearly 2000 acres, and reached an intention to cooperate with nearly 500 households in order agriculture mode. In September, the first batch of mulberry fresh fruit planting was launched. In the various stages of planting, picking, and shipping, HEYTEA takes practical and effective support measures such as establishing a real name traceability monitoring chain, actively guiding cooperative farmers to scientifically and standardly plant, and achieving higher quality mulberry fresh fruit output. After the first round of planting cycles, HEYTEA has selected 1500 acres of mulberry orchards and nearly 400 households for stable cooperation. In the future, it is expected to drive local farmers to increase production and income and achieve the goal of helping and enriching farmers.

Refined Management of 1,500 Acres with Contract Farming for Sustainable Mulberry Cultivation

Implementing contract farming at the mulberry base has enabled HEYTEA to take a deeper role in the cultivation process. Contract farming, an innovative agricultural production model, allows farmers to align production with market demand while enabling buyers to oversee the growing process. This ensures high-quality fresh fruits with consistent flavors.

After formalizing this model in July, HEYTEA assembled a team of nearly 30 personnel, including supply chain staff and on-site coordinators, to execute tailored mulberry cultivation and procurement plans. HEYTEA provided farmers with safer pesticides and residue test strips free of charge, guiding them toward safer practices. During the harvest, HEYTEA evaluated mulberries based on ripeness and sweetness, sending samples to third-party labs to ensure compliance with national standards. These evaluations informed subsequent adjustments to the cultivation process, guaranteeing product quality.

Strict quality control throughout the entire process from planting, harvesting to distribution, HEYTEA connects the "last mile" upstream

Through precise management of individual farmers, HEYTEA established a real-name traceability monitoring system for mulberry quality, addressing the "last mile" of the upstream fruit supply chain. This system ensures traceability, management, and feedback across every stage, from planting and process control to distribution.

In the future, the SAFE Project team will continue collaborating with chain retail members and agricultural departments to promote public training on fresh fruit and vegetable quality improvement. These efforts aim to empower more producers and businesses, enhancing agricultural safety and sustainable production, and driving the long-term development of China’s fruit and vegetable agricultural industry.

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Qinhua Guo

Phone: 18612420417