Fruit tree cultivation is an indispensable part of modern socialist agriculture, and it occupies an important position in the national economy.

1. Fruits are nutritious health foods. All types of fruits contain various nutrients. In terms of glucose and fructose, citrus contains 9-15%, apples 10-20%, peaches 13-15%, and lychees about 21%. In addition, fruits also contain vitamins A, B1, B2, PP and C as well as minerals, which are also essential nutrients for the normal growth and development of the human body. For example, fresh citrus fruit contains 30-50 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of pulp, and kiwi fruit contains 15-400 mg; Wenzhou mandarins, apricots, persimmons, etc. contain more vitamin A; walnuts and chestnuts contain more vitamin B2; citrus, persimmons, hawthorns, and olives It is also rich in calcium; longan and dates are rich in phosphorus and iron. Secondly, various fruits also contain fruit acids, tannins and aromatic substances, which can stimulate gastric gland secretion, increase appetite, and help digestion, and have obvious medical functions. For example, longan has the functions of nourishing the heart and spleen, nourishing blood and calming the nerves; lychee can stimulate the mind, nourish the brain, and treat scrofula and tumors; the amygdalin in almonds and the bitter orange in citrus can also Resolving phlegm and relieving cough. Therefore, according to research by nutritionists, in order to ensure human health, each person needs to eat 70-80 kilograms of fruit per year.

2. Provide important raw materials for the processing industry. Most fruits can be made into various processed products such as preserved fruits, cans, jams, juices, and fruit wines, which are sold at home and abroad. Some fruits, such as coconuts, walnuts, olives, etc., are raw materials for extracting high-grade edible oil. Many fruit by-products are also the main raw materials for light industry. Walnut and pomegranate peels can be used to extract tannins, orange peels can be used to extract essential oils, citrus pomace can be used to brew alcohol, and coconut fiber can be spun into ropes. Some peels can also be used as medicine. In addition, the wood of fruit trees is light and tough, and is a material for making furniture and buildings. Fruit trees have a lot of fragrant flowers and are ideal nectar plants.

3. Fruits are important export materials and one of the important products in exchange for foreign exchange. In order to meet the needs of foreign trade, the country has adopted various economic and technical measures, built many large-scale state-owned orchards, and established various high-yield and high-quality foreign trade production bases. This not only promotes the steady growth of my country's fruit export quantity, but also ensures the continuous improvement of fruit quality, playing a positive role in foreign trade. According to statistics from 1973 to 1980, my country exported more than 200,000 tons of fruit every year on average, an increase of hundreds of times compared with 1936, when the largest fruit export volume was before liberation. At present, my country's exports of fresh fruits and processed products are exported to five continents in the world, generating tens of millions of dollars in foreign exchange for the country every year, and occupy an important position in my country's foreign trade.

4. Developing fruit tree production is conducive to developing fruits and supporting agriculture, and promoting agriculture with fruits. According to statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics, the social purchase amount of dry and fresh fruits nationwide in 1985 reached 6.46 billion yuan; the amount of dry and fresh fruits sold by farmers themselves reached 2.2 billion yuan, with a total amount of 8.66 billion yuan, accounting for 2.4% of the country's total agricultural output value. about. This income not only provides a reliable source of funds for developing agricultural production and promoting agricultural modernization, but is also one of the important ways to alleviate poverty in rural areas and increase income. For example, the area along the old course of the Yellow River was historically one of the poorest areas in my country. However, since the 1950s, with the development of fruit tree cultivation, the economic landscape of the region has changed significantly. Dangshan County, Anhui Province has 130,000 acres of pear and apple trees planted, with an annual output of 50 million kilograms of fresh fruit. This alone has increased the average income of each person in the county by 30 yuan per year; Renhe Village, Minquan County, Henan Province has 1,200 acres of deserted sand. In the past, the per capita income was only 30 yuan. In the early 1960s, 900 acres of apple trees were planted, and the per capita income increased to more than 150 yuan. The development of fruit tree cultivation in the old Yellow River area also plays a role in preventing wind and sand, regulating climate, and protecting farmland. For example, crops in Liuhuaqiao Village, Ningling County, Henan Province, were often damaged by wind and sand. Coupled with the poor soil, the wheat yield per mu was only 40 kilograms. Since the implementation of fruit-grain intercropping, the average yield per mu has reached 300 kilograms.