A new symphony: Fujian's rural vitalization

Blue granary: The 'tech core' and 'standard gauge' of yellow croaker

If succulent cultivation represents the "small yet exquisite" facet of refined agriculture, the large yellow croaker industry along Ningde's coastline demonstrates how traditional fisheries can achieve a "large yet robust" leap by injecting new quality productive forces.

As the "hometown of large yellow croaker in China", Ningde's output reached 222,400 tons by the end of 2025, accounting for over 80 percent of the national total, with the entire industrial chain valued at more than 20 billion yuan ($2.98 billion). Yet the industry once faced bottlenecks of germplasm degradation and inconsistent quality. Over the years, Ningde has used technology and standards to shatter these constraints.

An official from the Ningde Large Yellow Croaker Industry Association explained that a local enterprise, in collaboration with Jimei University, has bred new disease-resistant varieties such as Minyou No 2 and Ningkang No 1.

On the farming side, traditional foam rafts have been replaced by deep-water, wind-resistant cages. There is even a "runway for fish" model that uses sonar technology to drive school movement, giving farmed fish a texture close to that of wild catch.

"We joined forces with top research institutions in Fujian and Zhejiang, along with leading enterprises, to formulate the nation's first technical specification for high-quality large yellow croaker grading," said You Chengyin, secretary-general of the Ningde City Large Yellow Croaker Industry Association. "This standard classifies the fish into five grades, from A to 5A."

Through traceability, certification and grade codes, consumers can pinpoint the origin and quality of the fish on their plate. This standardization has enabled Ningde large yellow croaker to penetrate high-end catering and international markets, achieving a leap from selling by the kilo to selling by quality.