In the past year, Qingyuan, a large Chinese agricultural producer, has witnessed remarkable progress in its five major modern agricultural industries: Qingyuan chicken, Yingde black tea, Xiniu bamboo shoots (Sweet Bamboo shoots), Qingyuan Simiao rice, and Lianzhou Choy Sum. Collectively, these industries achieved a year-on-year growth of 32.67%, steadily boosting the incomes of millions of farmers.
Modern agricultural industries provide sustained impetus
Now, farmers in Xiniu Town, Yingde City of Qingyuan, are experiencing a bustling season. Local cooperatives partner with more than 300 farming households, specializing in producing various kinds of bamboo shoots such as sliced, shredded bamboo, and pickled. By the end of 2024, the output of fresh bamboo shoots had risen sharply from 1.06 million tons to 1.514 million tons, marking an impressive growth of over 42%.
Qingyuan chicken
Plump Xiniu bamboo shoots.
Villages and towns across Lianzhou City are also in full swing for picking their choy sum. "This is the prime season for Lianzhou choy sum, when its flavor is at its best and demand is high," said Tang Dehui of Lianzhou Lingnan Modern Agricultural Development Co., Ltd.
Farmers pick choy sum in the fields.
Qingyuan chicken is known for its tasty and original flavor. Statistics show that the overall output value of Qingyuan chicken surged from 6.8 billion yuan in 2022 to 11.196 billion yuan in 2024. This growth is attributed to the expansion of both online and offline marketing channels, which have made authentic Qingyuan chicken accessible to consumers nationwide.
A live streamer promotes Qingyuan chicken.
Since the geographical indication (GI) product, Yingde black tea, was introduced, it has expanded its presence to over 70 countries and regions including Russia, the UK, and Germany. As with Qingyuan chicken and Xiniu bamboo shoots, the output value of Yingde black tea has exceeded nine billion yuan, with the 100-billion-yuan milestone in reach.
Tea farmers harvest Yingde black tea.
The secret to the success of Qingyuan's agricultural industries
According to Li Minhuai, deputy director-general of the Qingyuan Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, Qingyuan has made strong moves across the entire agricultural value chain, improving the whole industrial chain. Adopting industrial and systematic approaches to drive high-quality agricultural development has been the overarching strategy behind Qingyuan's "five ten-billion agricultural industries" initiative.
To realize the initiative, the city's efforts center on six key pillars: ensuring a robust seed industry, scaling up farming and breeding, enhancing agro-processing, optimizing brand-based and market-oriented marketing, standardizing operations, and connecting and leading farmers. These measures are paving the way for Qingyuan's transformation into a powerful agricultural producer.
Photo | Nanfang Plus
Editor | Yu Lulu, Liu Lingzhi, James, Shen He, Zhang Ying
