Farmers sow millet at the selenium-rich millet planting base in Nanzhuang village, Yangquan city. [Photo/Yangquan Daily]

Yangquan city in North China's Shanxi province has made efforts to expand and strengthen its selenium-rich agricultural industry. 

The development framework of the "research institutes + industrial parks + distribution centers + production bases" has been driving the high-quality development of the selenium-rich agricultural industry in the city, with an increase in market participants and a diversity of businesses.

The Yangquan Selenium Industry Research Institute of Shanxi Agricultural University in Pingding county in Yangquan has completed the mapping of selenium-rich soil content in various areas of the city. The institute has conducted standardized technical research on the rapid and efficient decomposition, analysis, and determination of miscellaneous grains, oil crops, fruits, vegetables, and honeysuckle tea, and has initially formulated enterprise standards for selenium-rich millet, potatoes, apples, greenhouse tomatoes, honeysuckle tea, perilla, and eggs. 

Gao Zhiqiang, director of the institute, said it will strengthen scientific research, accelerate the formation of a series of selenium-rich agricultural industry standard systems from production to processing to sales, and promote the brand building and standardization of selenium-rich specialty products in Yangquan. 

Leading enterprises in the selenium-rich agricultural industry in Yangquan have explored breakthroughs in the development of the entire chain. 

Shanxi Guanlin Agricultural Technology Co has accelerated selenium-rich product certification and the construction of a selenium-rich honeysuckle medicinal herb planting test base. 

Shanxi Sitongxiang Agricultural Technology Co has further designed packaging for the selenium-rich product series and upgraded storage facilities.

Meanwhile, Shanxi Jiuzhouxiang Agricultural Development Co has strengthened the standardized management of its selenium-rich millet planting base. 

Yue Runqing, director of the Yangquan Agricultural Technology Service Center, said this year Yangquan is focusing on coordinating the links of variety selection, planting (animal husbandry), processing, packaging, and sales of selenium-rich products based on local industrial parks and experimental demonstration bases of 10 major selenium-rich agricultural sectors. 

Currently, a business layout of selenium-rich products consisting of grains, oil crops, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, medicinal tea, eggs, vinegar, wine, meat, fish, and honey has taken shape in the city.