Leading orange product maker accelerates global expansion
2025-06-23 21:06:30
By Chen Si.
As Yichang’s top exporter of Zigui navel oranges, Hubei Qugu International Agricultural Group is accelerating its global expansion. The company’s international sales network now spans most of Asia and extends to emerging markets in Europe, America, and Africa.
On June 19, an automated production line for concentrated orange juice was put into operation. The new line supports the group's ambitions to supply raw materials for the global food and beverage industry.
As Yichang’s top exporter of Zigui navel oranges, Hubei Qugu International Agricultural Group is accelerating its global expansion. The company’s international sales network now spans most of Asia and extends to emerging markets in Europe, America, and Africa.
On June 19, an automated production line for concentrated orange juice was put into operation. The new line supports the group's ambitions to supply raw materials for the global food and beverage industry.
Workers process concentrated orange juice at the Hubei Qugu International Agricultural Group. Photo by Peng Qiang
"We started exporting canned navel oranges overseas in 2009, and last year we earned US$65 million," said Zou Yulin, a foreign trade manager at Qugu Group. The company is based in Zigui County – known as the hometown of China’s navel oranges.
In 2008, Qugu Group cooperated with Huazhong Agricultural University to establish a scientific research team, investing over 14 million yuan (US$1.94 million) in deep citrus processing research projects.
After three years of exploration, the first "zero waste" citrus processing line was built and commissioned at Qugu Group in 2011.
This line enables full utilization of navel oranges, leading to the creation of over 100 high value-added products, including navel orange wine, vinegar, tea, and dietary fiber.
This production line not only solves the problem of navel orange sales but also filled a major gap in China’s citrus deep processing sector.
In 2018, a frost damaged 20 percent of Zigui's navel orange crop. Technician He Xiang and his team used 15 tons of “defective” fruit to develop four orange peel products, increasing the utilization rate of such fruits to 95 percent and promoting a full-chain processing model.
Qugu Group has participated in international food exhibitions for 10 consecutive years, frequently joining trade fairs in the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
By understanding local consumption habits, the company is able to develop products tailored to overseas markets.
At the Zigui Navel Orange Buyer Matchmaking Conference in April 2025, buyers from 10 countries signed purchase intent contracts with Qugu Group, with the total contract value reaching 700 million yuan.
Hu Xingjun and Hao Mingxi also contributed to this story.
