Shanxi now has 53 agricultural products being protected by the national geographic indication (GI) system, showcasing great achievements in the development of featured agriculture, reported from the Development Center of Famous and Prestigious Food under the Provincial Agricultural Department on May 14.

The GI-protected agricultural products cover a number of varieties ranging from vegetables, fruit, minor cereals and livestock goods. Linfen City owns 12 such GI products, ranking first in the Province, while Taiyuan only has two GIs in agricultural field, which are respectively given to Yangqu Millet developed by the Agricultural Technology Promotion Center of Yangqu County and Jinci Rice cultivated by Wangguo Planting Cooperative in Jinyuan District.

Shanxi enjoys the fame of "Kingdom of Minor Cereals" due to its diversified geographic and weather conditions. It is also one of the country's top three producers of apples, dates and walnuts. According to primary statistics, the province has more than 180 kinds of agricultural products that can be protected under the GI system.

National geographic indications are used to mark the origin of certain agricultural products, and those entitled to GI are allowed to use the origin in their product names. In China, agricultural products protected under GI can usually enjoy a 20% higher price than ordinary ones; therefore can serve as a good impetus to drive local economy.

(Source: IPR in China)