Counties and villages in the southern province of Fujian will take full advantage of their natural resources in fisheries and plantations as they board the fast track to rural revitalization, officials have said.

Agricultural undertakings with local characteristics, rather than industrial development, should be the focus of rural revitalization, several city mayors said on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the National People's Congress.

"We must fully utilize the resources provided by the sea and the mountains to improve the level of production and people's livelihoods," said Guo Xiwen, mayor of Ningde. His city has five coastal counties and five in mountainous areas.

He said production will be increased of products such as sea cucumbers and fruits, including lychee and longan, which have the highest yield in Ningde because of its natural environment.

"Moreover, we have the largest breeding base for mushrooms, in Gutian county. At least 70 percent of the county's 100,000 population are involved in the industry," he added.

Yu Hongsheng, mayor of Sanming, said more than 300 agricultural products produced in local counties and villages - including lotus seeds, eggs, camellia oil, tea leaves and corn - have been recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture as being green, organic and environmentally friendly, which has helped the products become more popular nationwide.

Yu Weiguo, Party secretary of Fujian, said the province's collaboration with Taiwan in agricultural development is also an advantage.

"The latitudes of Fujian and Taiwan are close to each other and their climates are similar, so the agricultural products, fruits and flowers from Taiwan can grow very well in Fujian," he said, adding that Fujian has six parks where farmers from Taiwan have introduced their species and unique growing patterns.

Yu Hongsheng said one of the keys to rural revitalization is to link the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, while e-commerce is helping agricultural specialties reach a wider customer base.

"By the end of last year, all 10 counties in Sanming were selling homegrown products online, improving the lives of local farmers," he said.

Xu Weize, mayor of Nanping, where the UNESCO Natural and Cultural Heritage site Wuyi Mountain is located, said its counties and villages will focus on improving tourism services.

"We're committed to building Wuyi Mountain into a world-class tourist destination, and plans for more bed-and-breakfast establishments and eateries that will drive up employment and incomes among locals," he added.

Contact the writers at zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/16/2018 page5)