Authorities in Ningbo city aided rural revitalization this year by supporting the export of agricultural products, local media reported.

The Party secretary of Gaoni village in Xiangshan county called the city's customs service in March in the hope they could help the village export live sea fish. Xiangshan is a large county in terms of aquaculture, but this year several kinds of fish did not sell well. The sales price fell which caused large economic losses for local farmers.

After Ningbo Customs learned about this, customs officials went to the village and told villagers about international markets of such fish and the related requirements for exporting the fish. They also guided farmers to found a cooperative, standardize fodder management and take strict prevention and control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Customs then helped the cooperative to meet standards of imported countries and contacted the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine to test their products. The farming cooperative is expected to export about 600 metric tons of fish annually, worth 24 million yuan ($3.66 million).

Statistics showed live marine fish exported from Ningbo Port was worth nearly 100 million yuan annually.

The exports of weever fish from the city accounted for more than half of South Korea's imported weever. The export has enriched nearly 2,000 people and could bring each farming household a net income worth at least 60,000 yuan annually.

Bamboo, wood and grass products topped agricultural goods exported from Ningbo. They have also helped more than 90,000 people find jobs. Ningbo Customs has helped to improve the management of 291 companies that export such products.

The authorities also took several measures to speed up the registration of enterprises for exporting agricultural products during the pandemic.

Cicheng town in Ningbo has a long history of cultivating nursery grown plants. The cultivated area exceeds 667 hectares, making it the largest export center of such plants in Zhejiang province.

It boasts nearly 100 exported varieties, such as yacca and azalea, and exported an average of 100,000 pots annually, mainly to European countries including the Netherlands, Germany and Spain.

Affected by the pandemic, the number of workers at companies that export such plants reduced sharply.

It meant that signed orders could not be fulfilled, a big problem for plantations.

Ningbo Customs has launched several innovative measures to aid quarantine and clearance for companies. They also examined the facilities of some companies and guided them to monitor, prevent and control plant diseases and insect pests.

Companies were helped to tag each plant with information such as a batch number and the variety for tracing the source, if necessary. Strengthened on-site quarantine and sampling examination also ensures the plants' quality.

Ningbo also boasts many other speciality agricultural products, such as waxberry from Cixi, juicy peaches from Fenghua and citrus fruits from Xiangshan.

Ningbo Customs made serving the export of local agricultural products an important measure to help rural revitalization and make farmers become richer. They trained related companies, implemented pest and security control and shared testing resources with local governments.

Customs officials said they will continue animals and plants quarantine, enhance technical support and improve the port's business environment.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn