BEIJING, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- At the Belt and Road Forum for International Think Tank Cooperation held recently in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Xinhua Institute released the report titled "New Era County Economics." The report shows that in 2022, counties generated 75.66 percent of the added value of China's primary industry and produced 83 percent of the country's grain, highlighting their pivotal role in safeguarding food security.
Riding the wave of digitalization, traditional agriculture is accelerating its transformation. Local specialties are breaking geographical limitations and rising along a promising value curve.
China's proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan calls for developing distinctive county economies and promoting deep integration of primary, secondary and tertiary industries in rural areas, charting a clear course for the growth of new agriculture.
Across the country, counties are leveraging their unique resources and exploring localized transformation pathways to shift from factor-driven to innovation-driven development.
In traditional agricultural heartlands, digital transformation has yielded remarkable results. Qingxu mature vinegar in north China's Shanxi Province has tapped technological innovation, with its brand communication index rising 5.24 percent quarter on quarter in the third quarter and online sales up 19.76 percent year-on-year.
Qin County's yellow millet, positioned precisely in the "organic + stomach-friendly" high-end segment, has seen its brand influence index surge more than sixteen-fold since the first quarter of 2022, evolving from a niche product into a premium health food.
Counties in northwest China are converting ecological strengths into economic gains.
Jingning apples from Gansu Province, supported by the unique environment of the Loess Plateau, registered strong price performance this spring despite nationwide market fluctuations, with premium apple prices rising over 30 percent.
The price index of goji berries from the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai Province rose 7.04 percent quarter on quarter, as their green and ecological attributes continue to lift market value.
Southwest China is breaking geographical constraints through full industrial-chain upgrades. Zheng'an white tea from China's Guizhou Province has built a complete chain covering cultivation, processing and sales, enabling same-day picking, processing and shipping.
Yongping walnuts in Yunnan Province have focused on deep processing, with shelled walnut exports increasing 180 percent over the past five years and export value doubling, reflecting significant progress in outward-oriented agricultural development.
The steady rise in the value of these emerging county-level agricultural products reflects targeted measures rooted in comparative advantages, supported by enabling policies and digital empowerment.
From digital transformation in the north to ecological value conversion in the northwest, from whole-chain upgrades in the southwest to brand innovation nationwide, the upward trajectory of new agricultural products mirrors China's accelerating agricultural modernization and tangible progress in rural revitalization.
As policies take effect and innovation continues to gain momentum, more counties are expected to embark on high-quality, efficient and well-structured development paths, injecting sustained vitality into the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. (Edited by Yang Yifan with Xinhua Silk Road, yangyifan@xinhua.org)
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