Lush plantations glitter across the sun-drenched Yellow River alluvial plain at an elevation of 1,100 meters on the eastern flank of the Helan Mountains in Zhongning County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. As the 9th Goji Berry Industry Expo kicked off on June 14, farmers are busy harvesting the first goji berries of 2026. While goji berries are widely cultivated across China, Ningxia goji berries stand out for their exceptional quality, thanks to over 3,000 hours of annual sunlight and mineral-rich weakly alkaline soil formed by the convergence of the Yellow River and Qingshui River.
"Every single goji berry is hand-picked," said Pan Tai'an, chairman of Ningxia Wolfberry Goji Industry Co., Ltd., a leading regional producer. "The goji trees blossom and bear fruit simultaneously, which means all berries must be harvested manually." He added that the company never uses chemical fertilizers or pesticides, only organic compost, to guarantee pure, natural quality.
In China, Ningxia goji berries are the only variety officially listed for medicinal use in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. The ancient medical text Shennong Ben Cao Jing documents their anti-aging properties. Today, this ancient red berry has gained unprecedented global popularity as a trending "superfood" on international social media, with overseas consumers willing to pay a premium for authentic Ningxia products.
"Western researchers have long been studying the health benefits of goji berries, including immune enhancement, anti-tumor effects, and anti-aging properties. They call it a 'superfood' and extract its active ingredients for use in health supplements and cosmetics," Pan Tai'an explained. This inspired his company to focus on deep processing, where the real value lies. The industry was held back by two major bottlenecks: the extreme perishability of fresh berries and underdeveloped deep-processing technology. To address these, the company invested six years in R&D and successfully developed ambient-temperature preservation technology for goji puree, filling a technical gap and setting world-leading standards.
To retain precious nutrients, fresh goji berries go through cleaning, pulping, sterilization and canning within two hours after harvest. This rigorous workflow preserves key nutrients including goji polysaccharides, betaine and zeaxanthin. Powered by this innovation, the company has produced over 100,000 tons of goji puree, with total sales exceeding 2 billion yuan (about 293 million U.S. dollars). The technology has driven the construction of 50 high-standard production lines across Ningxia, marking a shift from raw material sales to high-value product manufacturing. According to the Goji Industry Development Center of the Ningxia Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ningxia's goji marketing network covers more than 50 countries and regions. In 2025, fresh goji berry output reached 200,000 tons, with the full industrial chain output value exceeding 21.3 billion yuan.
Emerging players like Ningxia Qilixiang Goji Co., Ltd., founded in 2009 by three university students with a startup fund of just 700 yuan, have grown into a top-tier brand with annual sales exceeding 1 billion yuan. The company has developed blended purees such as goji-ginseng and red date-goji, with eye-catching packaging, and operates about 200 online stores, consistently ranking first in e-commerce sales for goji products. Innovative products like goji puree, goji seed oil, and goji juice now enjoy immense global demand, becoming part of daily life for middle-class families from New York to London and a common ingredient in premium restaurants worldwide.
To meet global food safety standards, Ningxia goji companies hold organic certifications from North America, the European Union, and Japan. Ningxia Wolfberry has held these certifications for 21 consecutive years, earning a "green pass" to the global market, with products exported to 33 countries and regions. Today, the industry is embracing a diversified development model with goji art galleries, history museums, and experience centers, shifting from merely "selling products" to "selling scenery" and "selling culture." The transformation of Ningxia goji berries reflects the rise of Chinese products and brands, evolving from a little-known northwest specialty into a global health trend and a modern, diversified industry fueled by technology, creativity, and culture.
