Cooperative boosting fortunes of walnut farmers in Xinjiang

BEIJING, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China Daily.

One morning in late August, Abdurahman Kebir, vice-chairman of Kuqa City Bostan Walnut Professional Cooperative, began his busy day. While the morning sun was still mild, he headed to the fields to check how ripe the walnuts were. In the afternoon, he went to the factory compound to inspect the processing equipment. A week later, the premises of the cooperative he runs would be filled with walnuts.

Hidden in Kuqa, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China, lies a "golden walnut producing area". Blessed by the prime planting belt at 40 degrees north latitude, abundant sunshine and a large diurnal temperature difference, the land nurtures walnuts with plump kernels and rich oil content.

A new variety known as Wensu 185, grown on the Gobi Desert in Aksu prefecture, Xinjiang, has a distinctive feature: its shells can be cracked open bare-handed. The shells yield full kernels that are large, pale and sweet.

"Kuqa has more than 20,000 hectares of walnut orchards. We are in Akwusitang township, whose name means 'white water area'. The township boasts 1,600 hectares of walnut orchards, yielding more than 10,000 metric tons of dried walnuts. Our cooperative purchases 7,000 to 8,000 tons of them," Abdurahman said.

Once green-husked walnuts arrive at the factory, they are weighed, the husks are removed and then they are cleaned. After seven days of drying, the walnuts are sifted, winnowed and sorted to remove moldy ones and shriveled kernels. They then undergo X-ray inspection to eliminate any remaining empty, blackened, moldy or shriveled walnuts.

This entire process ensures a walnut qualification rate of 99.9 percent. When market conditions are favorable, the cooperative's entire stock is sold out by the end of December.

To bring this "green gem of the Gobi" to wider audiences, Abdurahman returned to his hometown to start a business after graduating from university in 2013. Together with his father, he founded the Kuqa City Bostan Walnut Professional Cooperative.

In the early years, local walnut varieties were mixed with differing fruit sizes, resulting in low prices. With support from governments at all levels, the cooperative guided farmers to improve varieties and provided technical guidance on cultivation. As a result, walnut output and farmers' incomes both rose.

If walnuts are the green gem of the Gobi, walnut oil is its liquid gold. To expand walnut sales channels, the cooperative introduced an industry chain for walnut oil production. It has also embraced e-commerce, operating on platforms including Taobao, Tmall, JD.com and Kuaishou, with products sold both within and outside Xinjiang since 2017. These developments have gradually transformed rural employment.

The walnut purchasing season kicks off every year on Sept 10, marking the factory's peak labor demand. At least 150 workers are needed across the site to handle husk removal, cleaning, sorting and walnut processing.

"Many farmers once had to leave home to work, unable to look after their children, livestock and households. The cooperative offers local jobs, allowing villagers to earn an income close to home while caring for their families," Abdurahman said.

The walnut oil workshop involved a total investment of more than 20 million yuan ($2.95 million). It uses cold-pressing technology to produce grade-one walnut oil that meets national standards.

"Meanwhile, we are in talks with overseas clients to explore export channels. Over the next three to five years, we will remain focused on strengthening and upgrading our operations, and develop more derivative products such as walnut powder and walnut milk to achieve product diversification," Abdurahman said.

At present, the cooperative's purchasing scope covers surrounding townships. It provides services to more than 2,800 local walnut growers in Akwusitang, with a cumulative total of around 30,000 farming households under its service network.

Farmer Ablikim Wuxiu said: "We have partnered with the cooperative for three years. We never worry about being unable to sell our walnuts, because the cooperative helps us market them domestically and internationally. Starting from 2024, walnut oil production has boosted walnut sales and added value. We are overjoyed as the walnut cooperative has created jobs for local farmers."

"One person getting rich is not real prosperity; shared prosperity is what truly matters. Neighbors around Akwusitang township are all my family. Whenever I see farmers struggling to sell their walnuts, or producing poor-quality nuts due to insufficient techniques, I feel a strong urge to help them. If I buy more walnuts, farmers' sales difficulties are resolved, and their incomes rise year after year. That brings me immense honor," Abdurahman said.

SOURCE China Daily