The brand "Yantai Apple" has reached a value of 10.11 billion yuan ($1.65 billion), leading China's fruit industry for six consecutive years, according to a 2014 report on agricultural product brands in China.

Thanks to the city's efforts on brand promotion, Yantai Apple's brand value increased by 2 billion yuan during the past six years, although the cultivated area area only increased by 100,000 mu (6,666.67 hectares).

Since 2001, Yantai has made publicizing Yantai Apple a high priority. It took part in international exhibitions, collected global ideas for slogans and distributed free apples on airplanes. The city also printed China'a first apple-themed stamps and held apple photography contests, all of which promoted the Yantai Apple brand.

Now Yantai apples and related products have been imported to more than 30 countries and regions around the world, with an annual apple export volume of 300,000 tons, one-fourth of the country's total.

Online commerce also has propelled Yantai's apple industry. There are more than 40,000 online shops on Taobao.com selling apples, with an annual sales volume over 12,000 tons and the total sales revenue exceeding 100 million yuan.

In addition, Yantai has focused on researching and developing safe fertilizers to improve the quality of apples.

Edited by Andrew Ancheta