According to statistics from Shijiazhuang Customs, agricultural product exports from Hebei Province in the first half of this year grew by 16.1% year-on-year, reaching 9.89 billion yuan, approaching the 10 billion yuan threshold.

Hebei has a long history of exporting agricultural products, with the growth rate accelerating in recent years. Behind these rapidly increasing figures, what new changes are emerging? And how are these changes impacting the production end and the entire industrial ecosystem? To find answers, reporters visited multiple agricultural product foreign trade enterprises to explore the logic behind this growth.

Product Evolution: From Primary Goods to Deep-Processed Items

At the workshop of Hebei Nihewan Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. in Yangyuan County recently, five tons of freshly produced corn juice completed labeling, packaging, and were being prepared for shipment to Tianjin Port, destined for New Zealand. Company chairman Xiao Zhixiang stayed on-site throughout the process, as this moment held special significance for him. "Having been in the coarse grains foreign trade business for over 20 years, this is the company's first export order for deep-processed products," he said. Previously, Nihewan exported locally distinctive coarse grains like millet, mung beans, and red kidney beans, selling them overseas after primary processing. Last year, the company expanded into deep processing, developing products such as millet milk, corn juice, mung bean protein fermented drinks, and purple rice quinoa drinks. After establishing a domestic market, they began exploring overseas markets this year.

Similar to Nihewan, agricultural product foreign trade enterprises in Hebei have been increasingly focusing on deep processing, transitioning exports from primary agricultural products to processed goods. These products share common characteristics, most notably a focus on health. In April this year, Baoding Wolong Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. exported its frozen persimmons to Canada for the first time. "Look at how clean our ingredient list is - just Mopanshi persimmons. Health is our biggest selling point in overseas markets," said company head Guo Zilong, holding up a cup of frozen persimmon and pointing to the label showing only "Mopanshi persimmon." Among Hebei's deep-processed exports, fresh and dried fruits account for a significant portion. Their health attributes are immediately visible on ingredient labels. For example, cooked chestnut products exported from areas like Qianxi are soft, sticky, and sweet, with chestnuts as the sole ingredient; hawthorn strip products from Chengde add only white sugar to the raw material, with no other additives.

How does a noodle product demonstrate health benefits? A semi-dry noodle product exported by an enterprise in Longyao County uses buckwheat as its main ingredient, which has blood sugar-lowering effects. Another series of noodle products incorporates traditional Chinese medicine ingredients like codonopsis and astragalus, which have been well-received in European markets. Hebei is a major noodle-producing province, with an increasing proportion of products sold overseas. Some companies emphasize low-sugar, nutritious, and healthy selling points, developing ready-to-eat or easy-to-cook noodle products that sell well in developed country markets. Another characteristic of exported deep-processed products is their appeal to younger consumers, from packaging style to product form. At Qinhuangdao Baifeng Food Co., Ltd.'s exhibition hall, the packaging of bagged cooked chestnut kernels and sweet potatoes stands out with fresh colors, cute hand-drawn illustrations, and small portions that are easy to carry. This design targets young people's social scenarios, allowing for easy sharing and consumption. Nihewan's corn juice products are low-calorie and filling, aimed at young office workers. Their mung bean protein fermented drink, about to be exported, is high in protein and suitable for fitness enthusiasts needing quick energy replenishment.

Having worked in foreign trade for years, Xiao Zhixiang believes that primary agricultural products target homemakers and middle-aged consumers, while deep-processed products need to identify new demographics and demands to succeed overseas, with young people being a crucial breakthrough. As export products shift toward deep processing, more high-end markets are opening up. Yang Hongfei, office director of Baifeng Company, showed a chart displaying their exports to the UK over the past three years, revealing a clear "three-step jump": 100 tons in 2024, rising to 230 tons in 2025, with an expected 600 tons this year. The export products mainly consist of various flavored chestnuts and hawthorn deep-processed goods. While Hebei's primary agricultural products are exported widely across Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the US, deep-processed products are more concentrated in markets like Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the US. This suggests that developed countries have stronger purchasing power and are willing to pay for high-quality, finely processed goods. Deep processing has significantly increased product value. "Previously, for every 25-kilogram bag of millet Nihewan sold, the profit was only 10 yuan, meaning just 0.2 yuan per 500 grams - essentially earning money as a 'porter.' Now, a half-jin can of corn juice generates nearly 1 yuan in profit. A single unit of raw material, after deep processing, multiplies in value several times over," Xiao Zhixiang explained.

The profit improvements from deep processing have shown companies new growth opportunities. An increasing number of agricultural export enterprises are accelerating their layout of deep-processing production lines, shifting from "selling raw materials" to "selling products," and exploring new overseas markets.

Production Transformation: From Simple Processing to Tech-Driven Scale

On June 16 this year, the opening day of the Langfang Economic and Trade Fair, an American client tasted Baoding's frozen persimmon and decided to change his original three-day exhibition schedule. The next day, he visited Wolong Company's factory in Yixian County and placed an intent order on-site. What makes such a small processed persimmon so appealing? Lifting the lid, a layer of white frost covers the golden persimmon. Scooping out the icy flesh with a small spoon, it's dense, cool, and sweet, melting directly into the heart. The once astringent persimmon now tastes like ice cream. The shift to deep processing places higher demands on production. Previously, primary agricultural products could be exported after simple screening, washing, and packaging. Now, the production process is becoming more complex and systematic, with technology as an indispensable hard support. The success of the frozen persimmon relies on technological innovation. De-astringency is a critical step in development. Wolong Company collaborated with universities like Hebei Agricultural University, and after repeated experiments, innovated de-astringency saccharification technology to remove the raw taste. Controlling freezing temperature presented another challenge - too high a temperature compromises texture, while too low a temperature causes ice crystals to damage the fiber structure. "The research team discovered that persimmon cell walls form uniform microcrystals within a specific temperature range. Based on this, we proposed a gradient cooling method, locking the error margin within plus or minus 0.5 degrees Celsius. This gives the frozen persimmon its sandy, smooth texture," Guo Zilong explained.

During interviews, reporters frequently heard names like Hebei Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, and Jiangnan University. Many companies have established partnerships with these food-science-focused institutions, collaborating closely on processes and technology to infuse agricultural products with technological value. With technology empowerment, Baifeng Company's cooked chestnut kernels achieve a sweet flavor without added sugar, relying solely on the natural sugars released from the raw material; Nihewan's yogurt drink made from mung beans retains the nutritional content while maintaining a rich, smooth texture. The product advantages built on technology have become the key to opening overseas markets. If technology determines a product's ceiling, then standardized production processes lay the foundation for consistent quality. How many steps does it take to turn a raw chestnut into a cooked kernel? "Raw material screening, washing, shelling and skin removal, low-temperature quick freezing, aseptic packaging, pre-cooking... a total of 21 standard procedures, taking several days to complete, all in a sterile workshop," Yang Hongfei explained.

Processes are becoming increasingly detailed, and process control is becoming stricter. On Baifeng's raw material screening line, X-ray inspection lights flash intermittently - an additional safeguard beyond manual screening that alerts workers to defective or blemished fruits. "Even surface spots won't pass; we prevent any flawed raw materials from entering the production line," Yang Hongfei said. Strict standardization extends to warehousing and transportation. Currently, it's harvest season for Huangguan pears in Zhao County. Hebei Juhe Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. purchases fresh pears from farmers, processes and screens them, then ships them to overseas markets like the Middle East. During hot weather, temperature control along the entire transport chain must strictly adhere to standards. Company head Cao Zhanlin explained that road transport maintains temperatures around 8 degrees Celsius, cold storage at 0 degrees, and during ocean shipping, parameters are monitored and adjusted in real-time according to environmental changes to ensure the pears remain in a cold-fresh state. Even if the voyage exceeds 45 days, the fruit arrives fresh. Production efficiency is another significant change on the production side. Guo Zilong noted that the frozen persimmon's success relies on two core technologies: de-astringency freezing and peeling technology. The former solves the taste issue, while the latter ensures production efficiency. "We initially peeled by hand. Frozen persimmons are like ice balls - slippery and hard to work with, and peeling was extremely slow. Workers' hands would get painfully cold. Each person could only process 120 per day, making this the bottleneck," Guo Zilong said. Wolong Company then invested in independently developing peeling equipment. Now, automatic peelers can process 500 per hour, dramatically improving efficiency. This year, the company will fully advance production automation upgrades with intelligent production lines. To further improve efficiency, some leading Hebei enterprises have introduced sorting robots and AI intelligent recognition equipment, reducing labor costs and shortening order fulfillment cycles.

Ecosystem Shift: From Fragmented Growth to Industrial Chain Integration

"Last year, our company exported 2,500 tons of fresh chestnuts to Japan, capturing about 60% of the Japanese raw chestnut market," Yang Hongfei said, noting that with the chestnut harvest approaching, sales plans are being finalized. Baifeng's annual sales review highlighted these figures. In agricultural exports, leading enterprises like Baifeng are the main drivers, often with one or two top companies holding the majority share of a category, while smaller players are few. Contrary to common perception, agricultural product processing isn't necessarily lower-barrier than industrial manufacturing. In the industrial sector, a small company of 20-30 people can achieve production and export, but this is rare in agriculture, where most participants are scaled enterprises. "Agricultural products are for consumption, requiring strict standards. Additionally, different countries have varying standards, and importers often add extra barriers. These cumulative requirements overwhelm small enterprises," Yang Hongfei explained. In terms of hardware investment, sterile workshops are standard for deep processing, with a 1,000-square-meter Class 100,000 sterile facility costing millions. Furthermore, exporting to EU countries requires passing stringent certification and food inspection procedures - complex and costly processes that only large enterprises can sustain. Moreover, since agricultural exports constitute a small portion of total exports, a mature supporting service system hasn't yet developed. While industrial exports benefit from comprehensive testing, logistics, legal, and financial services, agricultural products lack these supports, forcing companies to handle more trade functions themselves - capabilities that only leading enterprises possess.

With leading enterprises as core nodes, the industrial chain extends both upstream and downstream, forming an ecosystem integrating planting, processing, and marketing. In August, Yingge mung beans enter harvest season in Yangyuan County. Trucks of fresh beans arrive at Nihewan's warehouse. Grabbing a handful, the beans are plump, uniform, and vibrant green. These mung beans are purchased from farmers, but planting, cultivation, harvesting, and management are controlled by Nihewan. "We provide seeds, organic fertilizer, and other agricultural supplies, along with complete standardized planting techniques for watering, fertilizing, pest control, and weeding. After harvest, we purchase the mung beans uniformly," Xiao Zhixiang said. Through a "company + cooperative + farmer" model, Nihewan establishes planting standards with farmers, ensuring high-quality, stable raw materials. This model currently covers over 100,000 acres across Yangyuan and surrounding counties. In other agricultural sectors, this model has become common practice, with leading companies providing seeds, seedlings, and production materials, distributing planting manuals, and dispatching agronomists to guide field production. At harvest, companies purchase at pre-agreed guaranteed prices, with possible upward adjustments based on conditions. For example, Wolong's guaranteed price for persimmons is 1 yuan per 500 grams, but if market prices are higher, they pay market rates. Upstream, leading enterprises integrate planting into the agricultural trade ecosystem through farmer cooperation. Downstream, they're expanding trade channels and exploring new export routes. Previously, companies relied on meeting traders or using trading companies to distribute products overseas - convenient but allowing traders to capture most profits while companies lost control. Cross-border e-commerce is opening new doors. Nihewan currently ships 15,000 domestic e-commerce orders daily. Next, the company plans to develop cross-border e-commerce, build overseas warehouses, and sell directly to overseas consumers. Baifeng has established a livestreaming base and will develop cross-border livestreaming through overseas social and short-video platforms.

With an export orientation, Hebei's agricultural product ecosystem is consolidating. Leading enterprises are connecting upstream farmers with downstream markets, strengthening the competitiveness of agricultural exports. Reviewing Hebei's agricultural export changes, achievements extend beyond numerical growth to structural shifts - with high-value-added, high-tech products accounting for an increasing share. This upgrade is supported by the entire industrial system, with technology research, scaled production, and industrial chain integration - capabilities nurtured in the industrial sector - now bearing fruit in agriculture.

Reporter's Observation: Strong Brands Lead to Greater Global Reach

For agricultural products, the concept of origin is extremely important. It represents a region's climate, cultivation history, and product quality - the core distinction from ordinary products and a key factor enabling premium pricing. In recent years, Hebei's agricultural products have focused on deep processing, initially completing the upgrade from primary goods to processed items and increasing value, yet brand recognition overseas remains weak. For example, chestnuts from the Yanshan region of Hebei hold over 70% of the Japanese market. However, in Japan, these chestnuts aren't labeled as Qinglong or Qianxi chestnuts but uniformly carry the "Tianjin Sweet Chestnut" label. Because they ship through Tianjin Port, they're named after the port, leaving few knowing their true origin. In the next phase of agricultural exports, brand building is crucial. To build a brand, platforms must be utilized effectively. With the rise of overseas platforms like TikTok and Temu, some Hebei agricultural enterprises with keen insight have begun laying out cross-border e-commerce, forming professional teams to sell products and promote brands through livestreaming and short videos. These new platforms offer companies direct consumer access, allowing brand influence to genuinely reach end users. Therefore, in brand building, these new channels deserve attention, converting platform traffic into brand visibility.

For a brand to establish itself, finding selling points is key. Hebei possesses numerous unique agricultural products: China is the origin country of persimmons, with Taihang Mountain's Mopanshi persimmon being globally unique; Hebei is a major pear-producing province with native varieties like Snow Pear and Yali; the Yanshan terroir gives chestnuts their distinctive soft, sticky, sweet flavor. These non-replicable resource endowments are the core competitiveness of the brand. Brand communication can't rely on vague claims like "high-quality agricultural products" but must precisely extract core selling points from these unique characteristics. For brands to command premium prices, storytelling is essential. Bordeaux wine sells worldwide based on centuries-old chateau narratives. We have similar resources - for example, the traditional chestnut cultivation system in Kuancheng has been recognized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. With this golden signboard, the key is how to use it in storytelling. Rather than emphasizing "deliciousness," telling the story of "thousands of years of farming wisdom" is more compelling. How to tell the story also matters. Products should be combined with export destination cultural customs, with different narrative strategies for different markets. For instance, for the same agricultural product, the Middle East market might emphasize "health and nourishment," Japan and South Korea "meticulous cultivation," and Europe and the US "sustainable agriculture." By identifying the concerns of different markets, brands can resonate more deeply. Good products sell; good brands travel far. By building brands and upgrading from "selling products" to "selling brands," exports will have greater staying power.

Related: Hebei Specialty Agricultural Products Gain Overseas Popularity

In recent years, leveraging its rich agricultural resources, Hebei has driven increasing numbers of specialty agricultural products overseas, from fresh pears and grapes to cold-climate vegetables, with export values steadily rising and solidifying the province's agricultural trade growth momentum. Hebei's fresh pear exports are renowned, with "Ji-brand" pear varieties like Jinzhou Yali, Xinji Huangguan, Zhao County Snow Pear, and Weixian Wei Pear famous domestically and internationally. Currently, Hebei exports fresh pears to over 60 countries and regions. Globally, 7 out of every 10 fresh pears come from China, and 1 in 5 fresh pears in China originates from Hebei. Hebei's fresh pear planting area, production, and storage capacity all rank among the highest in China. Among other fruits, grapes and winter jujube are also star products. Hebei's grape cultivation history spans over a thousand years, with planting bases exceeding 600,000 acres and annual production surpassing 1.3 million tons. Varieties like "Sunshine Rose" are favored in Southeast Asian, European, and Central Asian markets for their excellent quality. Huanghua winter jujube, hailed as the "best of jujubes," features thin skin, thick flesh, and a sweet taste, exported to over 10 countries and regions including the US, Canada, and Italy. Potatoes and potato products are a distinctive export category. In 2025 alone, frozen potato strips exports from Zhangjiakou exceeded 80,000 tons, setting a new record. Edible fungi and their deep-processed products are emerging as a new specialty category. Feixiang District in Handan exports over 3,000 tons of frozen mushrooms annually to European countries like France and Italy, while Qinhuangdao's shiitake mushroom cultivation logs were exported to North America for the first time this year. Frozen persimmons represent another new export category. Baoding frozen persimmons, made from Mopanshi persimmons, transform traditional persimmons into "tree-grown ice cream" through de-astringency saccharification and quick-freezing freshness-locking techniques. In April this year, the first batch of 15,000 cups of frozen persimmons was exported to Canada, marking the first export of Baoding frozen persimmons.