A special germplasm resources breeding base at the Yangquan Selenium Industry Research Institute of Shanxi Agricultural University [Photo/Yangquan Daily]

Yangquan is uniquely suited to the development of selenium-rich industries.

The city's farmland soil is rich in selenium, with three times the average selenium concentration of soil in Shanxi and 2.1 times the national average. There is about 425 square kilometers of local selenium-rich arable land.

In recent years, the development of selenium-oriented agriculture has accelerated in the city, allowing local limited land resources to generate more economic benefits and helping rural development. 

To transform selenium resources into industrial and economic benefits, Yangquan has set up 10 million yuan ($1.49 million) in funds for the overall planning of the development of the selenium industry and plans to invest 10 million yuan annually in selenium-oriented agriculture development projects.