Northwest China's Shaanxi Province recently lost a precious chance to export its "Pink Lady" apples to Europe because most of the products failed to meet the quality requirements of buyers.

Early last year, a major fruit exporter in Shaanxi was told by European businesses that they intended to order 300 tons of "Pink Lady" apples. The export agency, however received only 20 tons of qualified products after searching the province, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The chance to win big orders thus slipped.

"Pink Lady" is said to be one of the most popular apple strains in Europe in recent years, and Shaanxi is an internationally recognized top-notch area for the apple.

But outdated planting methods and sloppy care cost local farmers the precious opportunity of embracing the lucrative European market.

Still, the farmers have been lucky because as yet- the formal purchase contract has not been signed, so there will be no claims for breach of contract and compensation.

But the story has brought to light the low competitiveness of many farm products owing to backward technology.

It is reported that only one-third of apple growers in Shaanxi have a rough degree of modern production knowledge, while the rest use traditional ways.

Although the government has invested astronomical amounts of money into transport, rural power grid and water conservancy projects to upgrade agricultural infrastructure, there will not be a substantial progress of competitiveness unless farmers are made more aware of scientific techniques.

Even though foreign tariffs on Chinese farm produce will drop with China's accession to the World Trade Organization, trade partners will naturally set strict technological standards.

In other words, domestic farmers will have meager prospects if they go international without quality products.

It is not an easy job to have China's 800-million-strong farmers, most of whom have low income and education, familiarized with new technology and the tide of the world.

But any attempt to maintain the status quo will yield worse fruit because an open market will drop lame ducks mercilessly.

The story of "Pink Lady" is a lesson to both the government and farmers to take action to brave these challenges.

(China Daily January 10, 2002)