Products labeled as organic, pollution-free or non-transgenetic on display at the Heilongjiang Green Food Industry Expo. Zhou Huiying / China Daily
 

Produce and processing showcased at Harbin expo

As the nation's top producer of "green" food, Heilongjiang is winning greater recognition at an agricultural expo this week.

The 2013 Heilongjiang Green Food Industry Expo held in the provincial capital Harbin from Sept 23 to 27 drew participation by more than 700 exhibitors and over 2,000 buyers from home and abroad.

The green food industry - growing and processing organic or pollution-free farm produce - has now developed into an important pillar of the local economy, according to the provincial government, the organizer of the event.

The government expects to build the expo into the nation's top event showcasing green agricultural products.

At this year's expo, food producers and processing enterprises as well as farm machine manufacturers and research institutions from China and other countries exhibited their latest products, equipment and technologies.

In addition, industry officials and experts were invited to various forums and symposiums to share their views on new development trends and the latest policies in the industry.

The expo is a combination of exhibits, sales, trade talks and information exchanges.

With an exhibition area of 37,000 square meters at the Harbin International Convention and Exhibition Center, the expo provided 1,100 booths for exhibitors.

A 4,000-sq-m outdoor exhibition showcased food production and processing machinery.

The 2013 Heilongjiang Autumn Grain Trade and Cooperation Conference is a highlight of the expo.

Delegations from various cities in Heilongjiang also held their own promotion events.

There are forums on milk and meat processing, cold-chain logistics and finance.

The Heilongjiang government said it hopes businesses from the rest of the country and the world recognize the great potential of the green food industry in the province.

It said Heilongjiang has transformed from a big grain production province to a significant food processor with a special focus on healthy, safe, high-quality and value-added products.

It is now the leading province for green food products in China.

According to the provincial government, in 2012, Heilongjiang's revenue from the green food industry reached 133 billion yuan ($21.7 billion), accounting for one-sixth of the nation's total.

To date, a total of 10,807 products have been labeled as green products - organic or pollution-free - by authoritative domestic institutions, one-eighth of the total in China.

In Heilongjiang, the certified farming areas for green food surpassed 4.48 million hectares, one-fourth of such land in China.

After more than 20 years of development, the province's green food industry has grown into one of its top 10 industries, according to the government.

It said Heilongjiang's unique advantages - a pristine ecology, a climate with suitable sunshine and precipitation conditions and rich agricultural resources - form the core competitiveness of its green food industry.

The industry's development is also a result of the growing demand in China for healthy and safe food, said the government.

For years, the province has successfully held many promotional activities for green food in a range of cities and regions including Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Kunming.

Its green food has also been widely recognized and welcomed in overseas markets, said the provincial government.

'Green' products are increasingly popular among consumers as food safety awareness grows. Zhou Huiying / China Daily