The Huayuan Yimutian project of the Northern Prepared Food Industrial Park started construction in the city of Datong in North China's Shanxi province on Aug 7.

The prepared food industry connecting agricultural production and market supply in the upstream and catering services and consumer terminals in the downstream industrial chains has broad prospects and strong development potential, with the rapid socioeconomic development and upgrading of lifestyle and consumption concepts.

The industrial park, co-built by Huayuan International Land Port Group and its Datong branch and Beijing Yimutian Xinong Network Co, will first focus on prepared beef food. 

The first phase of the industrial park with an investment of 105 million yuan ($15.54 million) plans to boost the eight characteristic agricultural industries including daylilies, animal husbandry, greenhouse vegetables, and organic dryland farming and generate 462 million yuan in annual output value. Five to 10 years from now, it aims to develop into the largest prepared food industrial park in North China.

Datong is located in the internationally recognized golden production belt of herbivorous livestock, rich in agricultural resources and boasting a sound industrial foundation, making it suitable for developing a prepared food industry. 

In particular, the city's Datong Land Port Meat Import and Export Platform and Shanxi Meat Cold Chain Processing Industrial Park have become international trade hubs for animal products and national cold chain logistics centers for Shanxi to connect with countries involved in the Belt and Road initiative and integrate into the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. 

The construction of the industrial park is of great significance to agricultural industry development and rural vitalization in Datong.