These Rudong products are soon to appear on the shelves of big chain supermarkets around the country. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Officials from Rudong county – administered by Nantong city, in East China's Jiangsu province – presided over a signing ceremony on July 6 for eight projects that will start up in the region, valued at 4.04 billion yuan ($623.4 million).

The signing ceremony took place at a modern agriculture investment promotions conference in Nantong.

More than a hundred specialty agricultural products were displayed at the promotions event – including clams, dried seaweed, chicken and rice – all popular with consumers. Thirty or so purchasers, including French supermarket giant Carrefour and the local Suguo Supermarket group, placed orders.

Presentations were made on 16 agricultural industrialization investment projects during the event – including the construction of a food industrial park and vegetable processing plant.

A regional public brand – Ruyi Dongfang – was unveiled during the conference. Agricultural products under the Rudong brand will be strictly controlled from production to processing, storage, transportation and sales.

An association was established by Rudong to be responsible for the brand management.

There are plans to have 30 products under the brand after three years of development and 60 large-scale production bases will be assigned for the products.

The long-term plan envisions the layout of 100 sales outlets in East China and underscores a combined online and offline sales model.