Gansu Times Olive Technology, a major olive oil producer in Longnan, spent more than 6 million yuan in 2019 to introduce two advanced olive oil production lines from Italy. The company said the advanced production lines have helped it to raise processing efficiency and guarantee product quality.

"China introduced olive tree saplings from abroad, and later olive planting started to grow big in China. The planting of olive trees has helped build a bridge for communications and cooperation between East and West," said Jiang Chengying, a researcher with the Gansu Research Academy of Forestry Science and Technology.

Zhao Lihong, an olive tree planter and a farmer in Sanhe, Longnan, said the planting of olive trees in Longnan doesn't require any pesticides and farmers usually handpick the fruit. In the region, olives are harvested in October and November, and once the olives mature, Zhao quickly picks and sells the fruit to Xiangyu.

Zhao said the pandemic didn't have much of an impact on his planting of olive trees, adding that there are more than 10 varieties of olive trees that are considered top-quality, and the olive oil extracted from such varieties has been sought after in the market.