Zizhou County in Shaanxi Province is advancing the construction of an organic product certification pilot zone by prioritizing ecological sustainability, green development, and industrial prosperity. The county has adopted a systematic approach to foster organic industries as a new engine for high-quality economic growth.
1. **Focus on Organizational Support**: The county has established a coordinated command system led by the county head, integrating land transfers, fund consolidation, and talent development. Progress is tracked through monthly reports, quarterly reviews, and annual assessments to ensure accountability.
2. **Focus on Policy Empowerment**: Zizhou became the first in the province to release an organic industry development plan, outlining a three-phase strategy backed by 12 supporting policies. These include subsidies for certified organic enterprises (¥15,000 annually for five years), intellectual property protections, and promotion of organic fertilizers. Eight enterprises and cooperatives have obtained production licenses, driving significant sales growth.
3. **Focus on Technological Innovation**: The county has built a "4+3" industrial framework, centering on astragalus, mountain apples, and organic fertilizers, supplemented by grains, walnuts, skullcap, and polygala. A 260-acre research base was established in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Tsinghua University, yielding the new "Ziqi No.1" astragalus variety. Drip irrigation and eco-friendly pest control have boosted apple yields to over ¥10,000 per mu.
4. **Focus on Brand Development**: The county launched a regional public brand promotion center, enhancing the market value of "Zizhou Astragalus" with geographical, green, and organic certifications—raising purchase prices by 15%. Multi-channel marketing, including e-commerce and livestreaming, has driven over 100 million impressions and a 35% repeat purchase rate.
To date, Zizhou holds 31 organic certifications across six categories (astragalus, apples, vegetables, grains, and fertilizers), covering 2,938 hectares. Over 4,000 low-income households and 16,000 general farmers participate, with average annual income increases exceeding ¥8,000. Future efforts will emphasize "organic+" integration, technological innovation, and digital supervision to create a replicable model for organic industry development.