Yantai's promotion of its tasty apples has reaped huge rewards for fruit farmers in the city in East China's Shandong province.

The coastal region now has more than 130,000 mu (8.666 hectares) of orchards growing intensively cultivated dwarf apple trees.

Yantai apples have become one of the top brands in China, which is helping local farmers rake in even more profits.

The seeds of Yantai's success have been continuous policy support by the local government, new technology, green development, integrated industrial development and effective brand building.

Policy support

The government has launched a series of initiatives setting targets for the apple industry's development and taking action to accelerate the industry's growth.

It also allocates fiscal funds every year to support the construction of intensively cultivated dwarf apple orchards, high-quality apple demonstration bases, and new variety and technology exhibition parks.

Technological innovation

As for challenges plaguing the development of apple growing, including aging of fruit trees, deterioration of orchard soil and pest infestations, professional research institutions such as Yantai Comprehensive Experiment Station of the National Apple Industry Technology System have been making efforts to cultivate eleven new virus-free varieties including Yantai Red Fuji No 3.