Dai Yulin, secretary of the Dandong municipal Party committee, conducted an investigation and survey on the development of the agricultural industry and freshwater aquiculture around the Yalu River area on June 6.

Dai first visited the non-polluted melon industrial base in the Gulouzi town of Kuandian. The industrial base, covering an area of more than 1.33 hectares, has provided jobs for more than 20 farmers. Dai encouraged the contractor of the base to persist in the industrial development of agriculture.

The Blueberry Base built by the Dongying Chinese Chestnut Food Co Ltd, has become another special agricultural base in Gulouzi town. The base plants varieties of blueberries with an area of 20.67 hectares. Blueberry products including the fresh blueberry, blueberry jam and fruit cans are sold to Japan, Europe and major cities in China.

Dai then came to survey the fresh water breeding industry in the Yalu River area. Beijiang village of the Daxicha town, with an average annual income per capita of less than 1,000 yuan ($157), built the fishery in 1988. After years of efforts, local residents finally sustained a living through the fishery and brought themselves out of poverty. The village was awarded as "Model Village in New Village Construction" in Dandong city.

Dai Yulin hopes that the fishery can expand its business and improve infrastructures to forge itself into a high-quality brand project which can combine breeding sales, leisure, holiday and sightseeing all together.

Edited by Zhao Qian and Rakhee M