Fish exports from China's Jiangxi Province exceed $100 million for the first time in Jan-Oct.

Jiangxi Province has been vigorously promoting exports of its fishery products under the strategy that its 'potential for growth lies in water.

The province's exports of fishery products in January-October this year soared 35.2% from a year earlier to 8,632 tons, with export value reaching $109 million, up 51.9%, exceeding the $100-million-mark for the first time.

This represented the attainment of the province's annual plan for this year two months in advance.

Jiangxi fishery department officials say they positively promoted the introduction of high-grade breeds with the aim to develop regional fishery processing industry and export-oriented fisheries, and succeeded in developing their own high-grade breeds.

In recent years, the province positively introduced high-grade breeds from overseas, including eel, catfish, pearly freshwater mussel, tilapia and white shrimp.

Furthermore, it developed and succeeded in popularizing the indigenous species such as carp, freshwater crab, small white prawn, and pearl.

At present, cooked eel is the top export item of all the agricultural and fisheries products of the province.

Exports of other high-priced products with high market potential such as small white prawn, crucian carp, and pearl are also growing rapidly.

At the same time, the officials said that the province is fostering fishery processors and export firms. At present, it focuses on five basic fishery sectors: eel, catfish (tilapia), pearl, shrimp/crab and soft-shelled turtle.

The province is also increasing the scale of subsidies to exporters of prime products, liaising between farming sites and processors/exporters, and providing assistance to producers and exporters in enhancing quality and safety of the products so that they can strengthen international competitiveness.

Under the slogan of 'one fish, one industry, the province is establishing export bases for fishery products having competitiveness such as eels.

Actually, production value of a single item has already exceeded 100 million Yuan, contributing to expanding the province's fishery product exports.