Although China is a major global producer of kiwifruit, it shows a trend of high imports and low exports in global trade. Data shows that in 2024, China’s kiwifruit import volume exceeded 180,000 tons with an average import price of 3.99 USD/kg and a total import value of over 700 million USD. In contrast, the export volume was only 31,900 tons at an average export price of 1.43 USD/kg, widening the trade deficit to 687 million USD, representing a significant gap in added value.
Known as the Hometown of Chinese Kiwifruit, Zhouzhi County is the place of origin and a premium cultivation area for kiwifruit, which serves as a pillar industry of the local economy. Statistics show that Zhouzhi currently has a planting area of 432,000 mu, an annual fresh fruit output of 590,000 tons, and a comprehensive output value exceeding 9 billion yuan, with 320,000 local residents integrated into the kiwifruit industrial chain. To narrow the value gap with imported products, Zhouzhi has actively promoted industrial upgrading, established the Shaanxi Center of the China‑New Zealand Kiwifruit “Belt and Road” Joint Laboratory, pioneered ready‑to‑eat kiwifruit technology, and independently bred premium new varieties such as “Cuixiang” and “Ruiyu”.
Nevertheless, the Zhouzhi kiwifruit industry still faces challenges, among which insufficient high‑quality cold chain storage infrastructure is a key bottleneck restricting the value‑added of agricultural products. With intensified market competition and higher consumer quality requirements, extending the preservation period and realizing off‑peak sales have become core issues for industrial upgrading.
To this end, Zhouzhi County has proposed a three‑step industrial development strategy, deployed a full industrial chain 2.0 model, promoted nine major upgrading projects, and partnered with Xi’an Agricultural Investment Group to build the Zhouzhi Kiwifruit Industrial Integration Development Demonstration Park. Themed “Digital Empowerment + Industrial Revitalization”, the project is listed as a key municipal newly‑started project of Xi’an in 2024. Dehezi (Beijing) Artificial Environment Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Dehezi”) undertook the planning, design and construction of the CA Storage Complex Project of the demonstration park in 2024.
Project Overview
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Location: Zhouzhi County, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province
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Completion Date: September 2025
Project Introduction
The project consists of 1 CA storage cluster and 3 large‑scale refrigerated fresh‑keeping warehouses, with a total storage capacity of approximately 20,000 tons, a daily throughput of 500 tons and a peak throughput of about 1,000 tons.
Capacity Distribution
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Fresh‑keeping warehouses: 114 rooms with a total capacity of 13,680–14,820 tons, 120±10 tons per room
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CA (Controlled Atmosphere) storages: 10 rooms with a total capacity of 1,200 tons, 120±10 tons per room
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Stored commodity: Kiwifruit
Project Highlights
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Precise temperature control at ±0.5℃ within the range of -2℃ to 10℃. The system adopts centralized + decentralized control and coordinates WMS/TMS systems with RFID and IoT devices in low‑temperature environments, improving storage efficiency by 30%.
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Modular construction technology: Pre‑fabricated cold storage structural panels and anchor suspension systems shorten the planned construction period by approximately 30% and reduce on‑site welding (light, gas, high‑temperature) pollution by 90%.
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Waste heat recovery technology: Uses compressor waste heat for system defrosting, achieving a 75% energy saving rate compared with electric defrosting and 100% water saving compared with water defrosting.
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BIM system simulation: Reduces design changes by more than 70% through collision detection and technical management.
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Remote digital twin platform: Real‑time monitoring of cold storage energy efficiency and system fault early warning with a judgment accuracy rate of over 95%.
After the completion of the Zhouzhi Kiwifruit Industrial Integration Development Demonstration Park project participated by Dehezi, it is expected to achieve an annual seedling output of 150,000 plants, a fresh fruit purchase value of 250 million yuan, training for 10,000 new professional farmers, and create 13,000 jobs. The demonstration park will integrate digital sorting, intelligent storage, intensive processing and brand marketing to build a world‑class and nationally leading modern kiwifruit industrial demonstration park. It will strongly promote the upgrading of the Zhouzhi kiwifruit industry, enhance regional brand competitiveness, and inject new momentum into the local kiwifruit industry and rural revitalization in Xi’an.
