BEIJING – November 05, 2026 -- Kuqa City Bostan Walnut Professional Cooperative in China's Xinjiang region buys 7,000 to 8,000 metric tons of dried walnuts a year and serves around 30,000 farming households, while it opens talks with overseas clients on exports, according to China Daily.
Cooperative sources from 2,800 growers in one township
Akwusitang township holds 1,600 hectares of walnut orchards and yields more than 10,000 tons of dried walnuts. Kuqa as a whole has more than 20,000 hectares of orchards. The cooperative's purchasing scope now covers surrounding townships, and it serves more than 2,800 local growers in Akwusitang alone.
Vice-chairman Abdurahman Kebir founded the cooperative with his father after graduating from university in 2013. Early on, mixed local varieties with differing fruit sizes depressed prices. With government support, the cooperative guided farmers to improve varieties and gave technical guidance on cultivation. Output and farmers' incomes both rose as a result.
X-ray inspection delivers a 99.9% qualification rate
Green-husked walnuts are weighed, dehusked and cleaned on arrival. They then dry for seven days and are sifted, winnowed and sorted to remove moldy ones and shriveled kernels. X-ray inspection screens out any remaining empty, blackened, moldy or shriveled nuts. The cooperative reports a 99.9 percent qualification rate. In favorable market conditions, its entire stock sells out by the end of December.
Walnut oil workshop absorbs more than 20 million yuan
The cooperative added a walnut oil chain, with a workshop involving a total investment of more than 20 million yuan ($2.95 million). It uses cold-pressing technology to produce grade-one walnut oil that meets national standards. A farmer who has partnered with the cooperative for three years said walnut oil production, starting in 2024, boosted walnut sales and added value.
Since 2017 the cooperative has sold through Taobao, Tmall, JD.com and Kuaishou, both within and outside Xinjiang.
Harvest season requires at least 150 workers
The purchasing season opens every year on Sept 10, the factory's peak labor demand. At least 150 workers handle husk removal, cleaning, sorting and processing. Abdurahman said the jobs let villagers who once migrated for work earn an income close to home.
Export talks and derivative products planned over three to five years
"We are in talks with overseas clients to explore export channels," Abdurahman said. Over the next three to five years, the cooperative plans to upgrade operations and develop derivative products such as walnut powder and walnut milk.