Yangquan city in North China's Shanxi province recently issued measures to boost the development of six farm produce-processing operations.

The initiative regulates support measures and focuses on processing coarse cereals, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), livestock products, fruit and vegetable products, and beverages.

In terms of the coarse cereals processing, the west of Yuxian county and the east of Pingding county in Yangquan plan to expand their agricultural output and adjust their planting structure to develop organic dryland farming and cultivate coarse cereal varieties.

Yangquan will encourage Yuxian county to develop its TCM industry, focusing on Platycodon grandiflorus and Scutellaria baicalensis. It will spur Pingding county to develop its TCM industry focusing on forsythia and Chinese mugwort, as well as Jiaoqu district to develop its TCM industry focusing on Eucommia ulmoides and Rubus idaeus. 

As for the livestock production sector, Yangquan will establish farms in Dongliang and Xiyan towns in Yuxian county, Jucheng and Chakou towns in Pingding county and Xi'nanyu town in Jiaoqu district.

The northern part of Jiaoqu district, in northwestern Yuxian county, as well as Zhangzhuang and Suohuang towns in Pingding county will focus on cultivating featured vegetables, fruit and mushrooms and building standardized demonstration orchards and vegetable farms. 

Lijiazhuang town in Jiaoqu district and Guanshan town in Pingding county will develop vinegar and herbal tea products and encourage the growth of emerging beverage companies.

With regards to the functional food sector, the city will rely on the selenium-rich soil resources of the north-central part of Pingding county and the northwestern part of Yuxian county to develop selenium-rich millet and sweet potatoes, as well as supporting the expansion of the functional edible oil businesses and honey production. 

To improve the competitiveness and productivity of the industries, the city will increase its financial investment and policy support, strengthen guarantees in technology, talent and land use, as well as accelerate market development capabilities and boost the general level of quality.

Under the initiative, Yangquan aims to generate 4.5 billion yuan ($688.09 million) from the annual output value of the farm produce processing industry by 2022 and over 5.5 billion yuan at the end of 2025. The number of local leading agricultural enterprises above the city level is expected to exceed 80 by the end of 2025.