Signature farm's produce drives Shandong's rural development

Editor's note: Shandong province in East China has cultivated a range of well-known brands across several sectors – including manufacturing, tourism, culture, agriculture and food. Its Friendly Shandong, Remarkable Shandong brand strategy has increasingly become a key engine for driving the region's high-quality growth. China Daily is publishing a series of stories to display top brands, specialties and handicrafts in Shandong.

In Dutang town – administered by the Dingtao district of Heze city in East China's Shandong province – a new variety of broccoli recently caught the attention of locals and brought prosperity to the region.

A 20-mu (1.33 hectares) pilot plot of land in the town is now home to the purple vegetable, which is making its debut this year.

A prime example of the purple broccoli now being grown in Dutang town. [Photo by Zhu Chaowen for chinadaily.com.cn]

This appealing crop has garnered significant interest and workers are currently busy harvesting and packaging the broccoli for sale.

"The sales price per kilogram is about 12 yuan ($1.67) and the per-mu sales can reach around 30,000 yuan," said Wang Yongzhen, the manager of the site.

Wang added that its rarity and appeal was attracting customers from all over. The taste and appearance of the purple broccoli, Wang added, made it highly sought-after.

The cultivation of special agricultural products in Dutang, such as purple broccoli, stems in large part from its efforts to restructure its agricultural industry.

The director of the township's agricultural rural office emphasized the commercial benefits of cultivating broccoli. He said that the vegetable was a cash crop that was highly profitable, allowing farmers to boost their earnings and live more prosperous lives. (Edited by Jin Yongxue)