A production line swings into action at Anjoy's factory in Xinghua. [Photo/Xinghua Daily]
Supported by its local produce, seafood and animal product industries, Xinghua – the county level city administered by Taizhou, in East China's Jiangsu province – is fast developing its local healthy foods cluster as a pathfinding sector, currently valued at over 100 billion yuan ($14.17 billion).
Many top businesses have already moved there, including Anjoy Foods Group Co Ltd – the biggest producer of hot pot ready-made foods in China.
Anjoy has invested nearly 1.05 billion yuan in order to build three production bases in Taizhou in recent years. Its phase III project for quick-frozen products R&D and production started construction in February and it's estimated that its annual sales revenue will increase by 1.2 billion yuan on completion.
Anjoy Taizhou general manager Jiang Heng said the company spent one year developing a new tender fish balls product, whose annual sales value shot up to 100 million in 2021 and 2022. He added that this best-selling product had boosted the local minced fillet industry and increased the incomes of local fishermen who caught the silver carp used in making it.
As a raw material supplier for Anjoy, Xinghua's Daze fishery company is developing rapidly thanks to the tender fish balls. Apart from their use in making the fish balls, other parts of silver carp are also being used.
Since Anjoy entered Xinghua in 2011, the company is said to have driven the development of the local vegetable industry through various projects, with the output value adding nearly 1.2 billion yuan annually – providing 6,000 jobs in rural areas.
Research and service platforms are now located in Xinghua to support the development of its local healthy foods cluster. [Photo/Xinghua Daily]