North China's Shaanxi Province produced more than 6 million tons of apples in 2005, accounting for around 27 percent of the national total, according to the provincial fruit bureau.

"It means we are capable of providing 36 apples for each Chinese last year," said an official of the bureau.

He said more than 90 percent of the apples have been sold.

The province, which is China's largest apple producing area, has 6.39 million mu (about 426,000 hectares) of area grown with apple trees.

The Shaanxi parts of the Loess Plateau are well known for producing high-quality apples.

Source: Xinhua