People.com.cn:

Recently, the MIIT and other 10 departments jointly issued guidelines on fostering traditional robust food production areas and the local specialty food industry. What measures will be taken according to the guidelines to advance the high-quality development of the food industry? Thank you.

Tao Qing:

Thank you for your question.

The food industry brings profits to those who work on the land and happiness to those who eat the food. It concerns people's livelihoods and is also one of China's key industrial sectors. 

In the first quarter of this year, the food manufacturing industry has maintained steady growth, with a strong momentum for recovery. Traditional robust food production areas and local specialty foods have become crucial carriers and critical drivers for the development of the food industry. With the improvement in people's living standards, people have a stronger demand for quality, nutritious, delicious and healthy food with a unique history and culture. Fostering traditional robust food production areas and the local specialty food industry will not only better meet people's ever-growing needs for a better life but also play a significant role in promoting local economic and social development, rural revitalization, and the realization of common prosperity. 

This year, the MIIT, together with other 10 departments, has issued guidelines on fostering traditional robust food production areas and the local specialty food industry, guiding localities to make full use of their resource endowment and actively unleash the potential for industrial development to create growth drivers for the food industry. The guidelines set out development goals for traditional robust food production areas and the local specialty food industry. It plans to initially create a development pattern for local specialty food by 2025, comprising leading enterprises whose revenues surpass 10 billion yuan, clusters whose revenues exceed 100 billion yuan, and industries whose revenues are above 1 trillion yuan. Specifically, we will foster more than five traditional robust food production areas with revenues over 100 billion yuan, 25 leading enterprises with revenues above 10 billion yuan, and a group of famous local specialty food brands nationwide and typical cases of industrialization of local specialty food.

Going forward, the MIIT will work with relevant departments to make concerted efforts throughout the industrial chains of the food industry to advance the high-quality development of the local specialty food industry. First, we will speed up the construction of large-scale crop and livestock bases for quality agricultural products to ensure a stable and reliable supply of production materials for local specialty foods. Second, we will improve techniques, technologies, and equipment to ensure product quality while raising production and processing efficiency. Third, we will promote the development of clusters of specialty industries and enhance coordination throughout industrial chains to promote small, medium, and large enterprises to pursue development through greater synergy. Fourth, we will improve the inheritance of local traditional food culture and processing techniques to improve product brand awareness and influence while maintaining local specialty food's original taste and flavor. Thank you.