Beijing cites Doumen sea bass area as advantageous

The exquisite taste and health benefits of world-popular Baijiao Sea Bass have brought yet another national honor to Doumen District -- Advantageous Area for Chinese Characteristic Agricultural Products.  

The title was recently bestowed by the Ministry of Agriculture, and Doumen is the only district in Guangdong Province to earn it, according to the Zhuhai Ocean, Agriculture & Water Bureau.

Doumen was also listed as one of the Top 100 Regional Agricultural Product Public Brands in China last September. It was named China's Land of Sea Bass in 2011. And, Baijiao Sea Bass was certified as a National Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product in 2009. Whether fresh or processed, Baijiao products have enjoyed widespread global popularity, and are bestsellers in Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the Americas.

Breeding Baijiao Sea Bass

Baijiao Town is located on the west side of Xijiang River across Modaomen Waterway from Tanzhou and served by Provincial Road S365 running south from Zhongshan.

Its unique aquaculture environment is credited for its success. Statistics show that Zhuhai produces 100,000 tons of sea bass products worth 2.1 billion yuan ($323 million) across 1,707 hectares annually. The output accounts for 47 percent of the country's total. 

Deep processing 

The local government is continuously rolling out more support measures to make the business bigger and better. For example, Zhuhai Qiangjing Agricultural Science & Technology Group was contracted to invest 350 million yuan ($54 million) in 2016 to build a 400-hectare ecological breeding base, which is now operational. At the same time, a standard system was initiated to allow each product to be traced back to its source, setting pace for the standardization of the Baijiao Sea Bass business in Doumen.

Today, the breeding base is the largest producer of its size in the nation, with products among the best-selling in China. This has provided farmers a channel for future prosperity, leading to a win-win situation with socioeconomic benefits, said an official.

Sea bass produce [Photos by Zeng Yao / Zhuhai Daily]