Anhui's tea oil industry has maintained sustained growth over the past three years, with its output hitting 4 billion yuan ($656 million) in 2012, local authorities said.

Last year, firms and large growers contributed to 80.9 percent of the province's newly-added area of tea oil plants, or 16,000 hectares, according to the provincial department of forestry.

Tea oil trees specific to China were planted in 10 major counties in the province, but they are increasingly dotting all suitable areas, covering a total of 106,000 hectares, the department said.

Anhui has been joining the nation in boosting the tea oil sector in a bid to cut heavy reliance on imported oil, a source with the department said.

Earlier this year, the provincial government appropriated up to 12 million yuan largely for cultivating and promoting fine seeds as well as for building roads in planting areas.

In addition, each tea oil-producing county or city mapped out measures to stimulate the industry. For example, loans are offered to tea oil farmers at a discount interest rate, and more individual investors are encouraged to pour capital into the sector.

The southern part of the province and the Dabie Mountains on the border between the province and neighboring Hubei and Henan are the richest in tea oil trees. The province is now home to 16 businesses, each with more than 200 hectares of the plant, official statistics showed.

(cnanhui.org)