Kids show apples at Lixian county’s apple trade?fair.[Photo/xinhuanet.com]

According to the official statistics, 27 contracts worth 1.29 billion yuan ($203.30 million) were inked at an apple trade fair in Longnan city, Gansu province on Sept 25.

The contracts included five agreements revolving around Longnan tourism, six loan agreements worth 490 million yuan, seven apple sales worth 30.20 million yuan, and four e-commerce sales contracts.

Well-known for its tasty apples, Lixian county, in Longnan city, held the apple fair to promote local apples and attract investment, according to the local government.

A seller lays out apples at the fair in Lixian county, Longnan city, Gansu province. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

The county has a dozen apple varieties covering 38.67 hectares of land, with total output expected to reach 285 million kg worth more than 900 million yuan.

Lixian county is one of 32 high-quality apple production bases around the country, with national pollution-free agricultural products certification and geographical indication protection product certification.

Customers purchase apples at the trade?fair in Lixian county, Longnan city. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Lixian county takes advantage of e-commerce to expand apple industry. So far, there are 513 online apple shops with transactions worth more than 39 million yuan, and Lixian county's sales volume ranks the top among all the fruit sold on Taobao, a Chinese e-commerce platform, said Mayor Chen Qing at the opening ceremony of the apple fair.

Edited by Andrew Ancheta