A female farmer poses for a photograph holding Qidong green-peel broad beans. [Photo/WeChat account of Qidong Daily]

Two agricultural products from Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, East China’s Jiangsu province, made it onto the annual list of Jiangsu Brand Agricultural Products, according to a document recently released by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Areas. 

Qidong green-peel broad beans and sand-grown yams feature on this year’s list and are both well-known products grown in the city. 

At present, the planting area for Qidong green-peel broad beans in the city covers 10,000 hectares, with an annual output of 105,000 tons. The city has also developed a number of large production bases for the beans, 25 of which have applied for the certification of being organic. 

In terms of Qidong sand-grown yams, the total sown area in the city now covers around 1,400 hectares, with the annual yield of the vegetables reaching nearly 45,000 tons. 

Five companies in Qidong have received the certificate honoring their products for pollution-free qualities. And the local vegetables have been well-received at several exhibitions held in Shanghai, Nanjing and Nantong. 

To get their products listed as a brand, owners need to file an application to a local agricultural department for preliminary approval, and then the provincial authority will organize a panel to decide whether the products can be included on the list.

Once a certain product makes it onto the list, the period of validity will last for three years. 

The county-level city of Qidong has always attached great importance to developing brands of local products. It has rolled out many measures to enhance support for improving the brand image and market competiveness of local products.

Qidong sand-grown yams are pictured in a greenhouse. [Photo/WeChat account of Qidong Daily]