Local organic autumn vegetables hit supermarkets

Locally cultivated organic vegetables from Yexie Town in Songjiang District are now available in supermarkets, providing locals with fresh seasonal flavors.

At the RT-Mart in Songjiang, fresh displays of spinach, Chinese green cabbage and garland chrysanthemum attracted the attention of passing shoppers.

"I bought some garland chrysanthemum today to stir-fry with garlic," said Ms Tang, who was picking out vegetables early in the morning.

At Zhongren Agricultural Technology Development Co's farm in Yexie, workers were busy harvesting and processing crops. In the greenhouse, rows of garland chrysanthemum bloomed lush and green, with farmers collecting veggies while others sorted, weighed and packaged them.

From the field to the grocery shelves, the entire procedure takes only a few hours.

"We usually harvest in the morning, package the vegetables and transport them to storage by the afternoon. Local supermarkets in Shanghai typically have them on sale the same day," said Qin Yajun, general manager of Zhongren Agriculture. To preserve freshness, the farm employs specialized cold storage facilities and refrigerated trucks.

Vacuum machines quickly lower the temperature of the vegetables to around 3 degrees Celsius to slow down their respiration. The cold storage facilities maintain a temperature of 5 to 8 degrees year-round, ensuring freshness during transportation so that residents receive produce at its peak.

To meet organic standards, the farm exclusively uses organic fertilizers and relies on physical pest management methods, instead of synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides. This organic approach results in longer growing cycles and improved flavor and nutritional value.