New types of agricultural business entities become the stars of agricultural development

Exquisitely packaged grains and cereals, nutrient-rich organic vegetables, and "giant" fruits and melons of all shapes... At the 2014 China Anhui (Hefei) Agricultural Industrialization Trade Fair currently being held at the Anhui International Convention and Exhibition Center, more than 1,000 exhibiting entities from within and outside the province brought more than 1,200 kinds of green and organic foods for a concentrated "appearance," and leading enterprises, family farms, cooperatives and other new types of agricultural business entities became the "stars" among the exhibitors.

"This time the exhibited product is the newly launched ecological sweet potato starch noodle series. The 'Zhicheng Old Farmer' cartoon image on the packaging box was designed by someone specially hired. Modern agriculture must not only understand production, but also understand the market." In the Suzhou Pavilion in the exhibition hall, Wang Minzhu, a family farm owner from Suzhou City, told reporters that in recent years agricultural operating benefits have been getting better and better. He has not only planted more than 1,000 mu of rice and 200 mu of vegetables, but also raised more than 4,000 free-range chickens. He not only established a planting and breeding professional cooperative, but also started an agricultural industrialization company to engage in premium agriculture. "The main reason I came this time is to understand the market and consumer demand, and also to promote the products."

According to reports, since 2009, Anhui Province has held five consecutive China Anhui (Hefei) Agricultural Industrialization Trade Fairs. This year's exhibition has indoor and outdoor exhibition halls. The indoor exhibition hall includes exhibition areas for 16 prefecture-level cities within Anhui Province, exhibition areas for leading enterprises from outside the province such as Shanghai and Hebei, and a Taiwan exhibition area, focusing on displaying Anhui's achievements in agricultural industrialization development and famous, high-quality agricultural products from across the country, while also displaying Taiwan specialty agricultural products and carrying out demonstrations and experiences of Internet of Things technology and e-commerce. The outdoor plaza area has an agricultural machinery exhibition area.

"In this concentrated exhibition area alone there are more than 270 exhibiting units, including 67 family farms, 9 joint cooperatives, and the rest are all cooperatives. Exhibited products include 12 major categories such as grain and oil, fruits, and Chinese medicinal materials, with nearly 1,000 individual exhibited items." Ma Yan, a researcher at the Cooperative Economy Guidance Division of the Anhui Provincial Agricultural Commission, introduced that in recent years the province's new types of agricultural business entities have developed rapidly. By the end of last year, the number of registered family farms had reached 8,185, and the number of registered farmers' professional cooperatives exceeded 40,000. "Compared with ordinary farmers, they attach more importance to the market and understand business. This kind of exhibition can not only expand the visibility of agricultural products, but also build a communication platform for different entities."