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. This is Zhongning County in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, located in northwestern China, where farmers are busy harvesting the first goji berries of 2026. As the opening ceremony of the 9th Goji Berry Industry Expo kicked off on June 14th, the region showcased its iconic fruit, which has evolved from a niche agricultural product into a global health trend.
While goji berries are widely cultivated across China, Ningxia goji berries stand out for their exceptional quality. Zhongning, the core producing area, enjoys over 3,000 hours of annual sunlight and weakly alkaline soil formed by the convergence of the Yellow River and Qingshui River, rich in essential minerals. These unique conditions have given birth to this distinctive "Magic Fruit." Pan Tai'an, chairman of Ningxia Wolfberry Goji Industry Co., Ltd., a leading regional goji producer, emphasized that every single goji berry is hand-picked due to simultaneous blossoming and fruiting. He noted that thanks to Ningxia's cool climate, pests and diseases are rare, and the company uses only organic compost to guarantee pure, natural quality.
In China, Ningxia goji berries have been treasured as a medicinal and edible delicacy, listed officially for medicinal use in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. The ancient Chinese medical masterpiece, the Shennong Ben Cao Jing, documents their anti-aging properties. This cultural heritage has laid a solid foundation for entering international markets. Today, the red berry has gained unprecedented global popularity as a "superfood" on social media, with overseas consumers willing to pay a premium for authentic products. Western researchers have studied its health benefits, including immune enhancement and anti-aging properties, leading to extraction of active ingredients for supplements and cosmetics.
For decades, the industry faced bottlenecks: the extreme perishability of fresh berries and underdeveloped deep-processing technology. To address these, Ningxia Wolfberry 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. Fresh goji berries go through cleaning, pulping, sterilization, and canning within two hours after harvest to retain nutrients like goji polysaccharides, betaine, and zeaxanthin. This innovation has produced over 100,000 tons of goji puree, with sales exceeding 2 billion yuan (about 293 million U.S. dollars), and driven the construction of 50 high-standard production lines across Ningxia, shifting the industry from raw material sales to high-value product manufacturing.
According to data from the Goji Industry Development Center of the Ningxia Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ningxia's goji marketing network covers more than 50 countries and regions spanning Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas. 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 700 yuan, have reshaped consumer perception through e-commerce. Qilixiang develops blended purees like goji-ginseng and red date-goji, with eye-catching packaging, operating about 200 online stores and consistently ranking first in e-commerce sales for goji products.
Innovative, high-value-added products such as goji puree, goji seed oil, and goji juice are enjoying immense global demand. Ningxia goji berries have become part of daily life for middle-class families from New York to London, a favorite among Hollywood celebrities, and a common ingredient in premium restaurants. This international reputation is built on rigorous quality control. For instance, Ningxia Wolfberry has held organic certifications from North America, the European Union, and Japan for 21 consecutive years, earning a "green pass" to the global market. To date, its products have been exported to 33 countries and regions worldwide.
Today, Ningxia's goji industry is embracing a diversified development model, with goji art galleries, history museums, and experience centers shifting from "selling products" to "selling scenery" and "selling culture." The transformation of Ningxia goji berries reflects the progress and 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.
