Weifang helps agricultural products go global

At an automated processing workshop in Huatao Food Co Ltd, bundles of vermicelli are made from sweet potato starch, undergoing pulping, cooking, and cutting stages. The vermicelli is then carefully processed, seasoned, and packaged into various products, which are sold across China and abroad.

The sweet potato vermicelli projects produced by Huatao Food Co currently nearly hold more than 60 percent of the market share in South Korea, according to Ren Qiongqiong, manager of the company’s export department. The company primarily produces vermicelli noodles and related products, which have been exported to countries and regions including Japan, South Korea, the United States and Europe.

Huatao Food Co is a local company exporting agricultural products in Anqiu, a county-level city in Weifang, Shandong province. The county is renowned for its vegetable and agricultural product exports in China. According to Tang Yongping, director of the Anqiu bureau of commerce, the county exports over 600,000 metric tons of vegetables annually to more than 80 countries and regions. The ginger exported by Anqiu accounts for 80 percent of the market share in Japan.

In recent years, Anqiu has made strong efforts to cultivate high-quality agricultural products and has developed 126 nationally-recognized brands, including ginger, scallions, and garlic, which are classified as national geographic indication products.

An agricultural product quality and safety comprehensive management service platform has also been established. Utilizing satellite remote sensing and advanced technologies, the platform monitors information on agricultural products at every stage, from seedling to sales, helping to ensure product quality. The county has also built a cross-border e-commerce industrial park featuring agricultural products, which is the first of its kind of Shandong. The park is currently home to more than 600 companies, with a total sale of $1 billion.

Workers inspect vermicelli at a workshop belonging to Huatao Food Co Ltd in Anqiu, a county-level city in Weifang, Shandong province. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Agricultural products are displayed at the Anqiu modern agricultural exhibition hall. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]