'Money trees', sea duck eggs create jobs in Guangxi

The eggs are transported to a workshop in the county after collection. After pickling, baking and packaging, they become a well-known local specialty, pickled sea duck eggs.

The base was built jointly by Qunzhu village and Hetianbaolong, a food processing company. It not only benefits the villagers but also the wider sea duck egg business.

"In the past, we used to purchase duck eggs directly from villagers," said Long Haijun, an executive from Hetianbaolong. However, the varying quality and limited quantity of the eggs made it difficult for the company to operate.

Thanks to the base, it can now get high-quality sea duck eggs every day to maintain operational stability, Long said.

Besides the sea duck egg business, Hepu county has striven to develop its marine economy by promoting aquaculture such as fish farming. The total output of aquatic products in the county reached 509,400 metric tons last year, up 3.54 percent year-on-year.

Through support for rural industrial projects and talent, Hepu has upgraded its agricultural industry and has provided more job opportunities for residents, said Pan Xiaowen, director of the county's agricultural and rural affairs bureau.

Xinhua