Ningxia's goji berry exports surge

On Monday, 800 boxes totaling 14.5 metric tons of organic dried goji berries were ready to be exported to the United States after being inspected by staff from Yinchuan Customs at the export processing site of Ningxia Wolfberry Goji Industry Co Ltd in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

According to statistics from Yinchuan Customs, in the first four months of 2024, the export value of goji berries from Ningxia saw a year-on-year increase of 16.9 percent, ranking first nationwide.

Wolfberry was the enterprise with Ningxia's highest goji berry export value in the period. Its export volume reached 58 million yuan ($8 million), a 145.3 percent year-on-year increase.

"In addition to ensuring the export volume of primary processed products - dried goji berries, we continue to increase investment in technology, extend the industrial chain, and consider deep processing of new products as an effective means to maintain export growth," said Wang Fei, manager of the company's foreign trade department. "Our product types have been expanded, including goji berry juice and freeze-dried powder."

In recent years, Ningxia goji berries have made breakthroughs in quality improvement and deep processing.

The region has established the China Goji Berry Research Institute and the National Goji Berry Product Quality Testing Center to ensure quality.

They have led the development of over 50 percent of national standards related to goji berry products and developed more than 120 new products, including medicines, foods, beverages, health products and cosmetics.

The variety of exported goji berry products has increased to 10 types, with export destinations expanding to over 50 countries and regions.

In the first four months of this year, 1,331.2 tons of goji berries were exported, with Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, Australia and ASEAN countries being the main export destinations.