Grape leaves fuel a billion yuan industry in Yutian County

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Chen Jianglin) news: At 8 a.m. on May 18, 2026, the village of Yetaitunuke in Lan'gan Township, Yutian County, lay quiet on the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert. Merhemet Hayisa had already picked up her plastic basket and headed into the grape field.　

After her husband passed away, Merhemet raised her children on her own. She relied on her three-mu (1 mu is about 0.067 hectares) grape field and a small shop to make a living.

The fresh and green grape leaves she was harvesting were not for the fruit but for the leaves themselves.

Green grape vines grow on trellises outside a villager's home in Lan'gan Township, Yutian County, Hotan Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on May 18, 2026. (Photo by Zhang Yun)

"I pick nearly 20 kilograms of grape leaves a day and earn about 150 yuan," Merhemet said, her hands never stopping as she spoke.

Altinkam Memtimin, a fellow villager, did the math. In 2025, her five-mu grape field brought in 13,000 yuan from grape leaf sales.

"Everyone now sees grape leaves as golden leaves. No one is willing to feed them to the sheep anymore," Altinkam said.　

The fresh grape leaves picked by farmers in the early morning are delivered the same evening to Hotan Xin'an Meiwei Trading Co., Ltd. The company, located in Yingbazha Village, Lan'gan Township, operates the largest professional grape leaf processing factory in Hotan.　　

Mutallip Anwar, the company's director, said his family has been in the grape leaf export business for more than 20 years. The company ships about 30,000 tons of finished products every year to 26 countries and regions around the world.　

"We only use seedless white grape leaves for our raw material. These leaves have less fiber, better texture and excellent quality. The unique climate in Yutian County gives the leaves a naturally sweet flavor," Mutallip said.　　

Processing grape leaves is a race against time. Farmers pick the leaves in designated areas during the day and deliver them to the factory in the evening. The factory immediately washes the leaves, soaks them in salt water and boils them at over 80 degrees Celsius for eight to 10 hours to sterilize and ferment them. The leaves are then packed into barrels the next day and shipped to Heze in east China's Shandong Province for further processing.　

During peak season, the factory buys up to 50 tons of grape leaves a day, creating about 290,000 yuan (about 42,659 U.S. dollars) in daily income for local villagers from both leaf sales and wages.

Villagers harvest grape leaves in Yetaitunuke Village, Lan'gan Township, Yutian County, Hotan Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on May 18, 2026. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/Chen Jianglin)

These humble grape leaves eventually travel across the ocean to dining tables in countries like Türkiye. There, people wrap fillings in the leaves, steam them and serve them with a special creamy sauce, turning them into a classic local dish.　　

While earning foreign exchange through exports, grape leaves have also boosted the local rural tourism and catering industry. Abasi Abduaini, who returned from Shanghai to start a business, saw an opportunity in this local specialty. He invested one million yuan (about 147.1 thousand U.S. dollars) to transform his own grape field and opened the Yutian Grape Farm Restaurant.　

The restaurant's signature dish is meat wrapped in fresh grape leaves. The leaves are picked right before cooking, ensuring that they travel from the vine to the table in just two hours.　　

With the beauty of its 50 mu vineyard and its unique grape leaf dishes, the restaurant attracts about 500 visitors a day on weekends. It has become a popular rural tourism spot in Yutian County.　　

The small grape leaf is just one part of the complete grape industry chain in Lan'gan Township.　　

Lan'gan Township currently has 38,000 mu of grape fields, producing 44,300 tons of fresh grapes every year.

In the past, limited sales channels and market reach meant that high quality grapes often failed to fetch good prices. This restricted farmers' incomes and the industry's growth.

Today, the grape industry across the township generates 110 million yuan (about 16.18 million U.S. dollars) in annual output value.　

Ailijan Hudabadi, deputy Party secretary and head of Lan'gan Township, said that to solve production and sales problems, the township has taken multiple measures to expand grape sales channels. It has built a sales system that combines online and offline methods.　　

To build a strong local grape brand, the township has led the creation of the Keliya Oasis Grape Association, which unifies planting standards, product packaging and market sales. This has helped make the grape industry more standardized and brand focused.　

Grape leaves have helped earn foreign exchange. Fresh grape sales have boosted farmers' incomes. Even the branches pruned from the grapevines, once burned as waste, have now become valuable as high quality feed for livestock.　

"Tests show that grape branches are rich in crude fiber and several vitamins. It cuts spending by 30 percent compared with purchasing commercial feed," Ailijan said. Lan'gan Township currently has nearly 10,000 sheep, and using grape branches as feed has helped lower farming costs.　　

In spring, farmers harvest grape leaves for extra income. In summer and autumn, they sell fresh grapes. In winter, they turn pruned branches into feed. The township has created a circular green agriculture system that links grape growing, feed processing and livestock farming.　　

In 2025, Lan'gan Township sold 5,290 tons of grape leaves, generating 35 million yuan (about 5.15 million U.S. dollars) in output value. Income from grapes and related industries accounted for more than 80 percent of local farmers' per capita net income, helping their annual per capita income exceed 20,000 yuan.　　

According to Ailijan, in the future, the township will continue to develop deeper processing of grapes. Plans include producing grape juice, raisins and grape seed oil. The goal is to make full use of the entire grape industry chain and maximize its economic value.

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