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China, the world's leading producer of fruit, is also by far the leading producer of peaches. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, as of 2010, peach production in China was 10 million tonnes (11 million short tons), accounting for 50% of world production. Other leading peach producers are Italy (10%), Spain (7%) and the United States (6%).〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Peaches and Nectarines )〕 Since most of China's peaches are for domestic consumption, China is not the world's largest exporter of peaches, but instead ranks as the fifth-largest peach exporter, behind Spain, Italy, France and the United States (4th). China's export of peaches to the U.S. during 2010 was valued at about US$55 million.〔 The peach is indigenous to China, with its historical records traced from fossil stones in Wu County in Jiangsu province, during archaeological excavations.〔 The two types of peaches (''Prunus persica'', a deciduous fruit) are clingstone and freestone; the history and cultivation of both types have been traced as far back as 1000 BC in China. They are now grown worldwide.〔〔Layne, p.xiii–xiv, 1, 48–51〕 ==History== Although its botanical name ''Prunus persica'' suggests that the peach is native to Persia, peaches actually originated in China, where they have been cultivated since the early days of Chinese culture. Peaches are mentioned in Chinese writings as far back as the 10th century BC and were a favored fruit of kings emperors. Recently, the history of cultivation of peaches in China has been extensively reviewed, using numerous original manuscripts dating back to 1100 BC.〔 Peaches play an important role in Chinese mythology and history and were said to have magical powers. Peaches are mentioned in many ancient pieces of Chinese literature and art, such as Tao Yuanming's ''The Tale of the Peach-Blossom Spring''. In addition, the results of archaeological excavations in Banpo village, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province support references in ancient manuscripts to 17 different fruits, mostly deciduous and including peaches, beginning with ''Shi Jing'', an ancient record of songs scripted in 1000 BC. Archaeological finds testify to a well-developed agricultural knowledge base in pomology. The Chinese knew about cultivar differences in winter peaches in the second century BC.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Peach production in China」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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