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Lushi county makes strides in agricultural transformation

The agriculture industry in Sanmenxia's Lushi county, Henan province has maintained decent growth this year, with an output of 7.7 billion yuan ($1.19 billion), up five percent compared to a year ago, according to a local official in the county.

The official attributed the success to three measures the local government adopted this year.

The county focuses on the adjustment of industrial clusters to create new economic growth points. Industries such as tobacco farming, edible fungus growing and livestock have been prioritized for expansion.

As of the end of this year, the output for tobacco in the county has reached 325 million yuan, edible fungi 550 million yuan, livestock 150 million yuan, and forestry products 1.15 billion yuan. All are big increases over last year.

Four products in the county have been certified as national pollution-free farm produce. In addition, this year the government attracted two export enterprises from outside of Sanmenxia to the county, adding new channels to earn foreign exchange.

Focusing on major industries, the county has developed a model to boost production and deep processing of subsidiary foodstuffs. By the end of November, the county had 40 key enterprises, three at the provincial level, and 188 special cooperatives, two at the national level.

The local government spares no effort in promoting brand recognition to increase the competitiveness of local products. By the end of November, the government had helped 29 products to be certified as national pollution-free agricultural products and five as national organic products. Some local brands such as Funiu and Yanju have been granted provincial well-known trademark status.

Thanks to the efforts made by the county's government, the budget of Lushi has risen to 604 million yuan, up 1.5 percent compared to a year ago. Investment for fixed assets stood at 10.9 billion yuan, an increase of 17 percent. Total retail sales for consumer goods rose by 11.3 percent to 3.6 billion yuan. The income of residents in urban and rural areas both saw a year-on-year growth above five percent.

Experts attributed the county's considerable progress and success primarily to its accurate positioning strategy of striving to become a national-level county with special agricultural products.