Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province pocketed $22.3 million from exporting of 13,200 tons of vegetables in the first quarter of 2017, a year-on-year increase in revenue of 7.5 percent, Ningbo's bureau of entry-exit inspection and quarantine announced on April 24.

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province pockets $22.3 million from exporting vegetables in the first quarter of 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Ningbo now exports vegetables to more than 30 countries and regions worldwide. Japan remained the biggest importer for Ningbo vegetables, consuming 78.5 percent of its exported items in Q1.

The United States, European Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations are the other main importers of Ningbo vegetables, accounting for 7.1 percent, 4 percent and 3.69 percent of the export revenue respectively.

Exports of frozen vegetables amounted to 8,500 tons, the highest among all the exported vegetable categories. 

Cixi, a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Ningbo and home to the city's largest vegetable export base, earned the largest slice of the revenue of any area of Ningbo. The city earned $8.26 million, accounting for 37.1 percent of the export revenue in Q1. Yuyao city and Yinzhou district came in second and third respectively.

In recent years, in a bid to meet the requirements of foreign clients, Ningbo has been actively introducing new types of vegetables such as licorice targeting Japanese customers. The top five most favored exported items are kale, bamboo shoot, broccoli,green soy bean and broad bean.

Currently, there are more than 40 companies specializing in exporting vegetables in the city. Ningbo made more than $90 million from exporting vegetables in total over the course of 2016.