Chinese wolfberries ripen, ready for picking in Ningxia

Pickers pose for a photo with baskets full of Chinese wolfberries. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The period for picking the first batch of Chinese wolfberries in the 400-hectare base is only five days, and the output is expected to be 50 tons, he said.

Fu Xia, 48, has been a Chinese wolfberry picker at the base for three years.

"I started picking them at half past seven and my basket was full three hours later," Fu said. "I would pick more than 50 kilograms of Chinese wolfberries a day and earn about 150 yuan ($21)."

Ningxia's Chinese wolfberry growing area surpasses 60,000 hectares and accounts for more than 50 percent of China's total.

It will witness the full bearing period of the fruit after the first batch is picked.

Huang Zhiling contributed to the story.