Qinghe village is one of the typical blueberry planting villages in Sandaohu town, Jilin province. [Photo/Jilin news network]

In Sandaohu town in Baishan city – which is situated in Northeast China's Jilin province – the farmers have been expanding their incomes by increasingly growing blueberries, responding to incentives and new policies that were rolled out, according to local media reports.

By June this year, the blueberry planting area in Sandaohu had expanded to 17,000 mu (1,133 hectares).

In 2021, the total output of fresh fruits is projected to reach 6,000 metric tons and farmers' earnings from the fruit of their labor will hit 120 million yuan ($18.6 million).

Sandaohu has 17 administrative villages and the town has 10,000 mu of blueberries under cultivation.

In 2015, Sandaohu town began to vigorously develop its blueberry industry, in the wake of an important measure introduced to alleviate rural poverty.

In various forms, more than 500 poor households have planted more than 4,400 mu of blueberries and the average annual household income has increased by an estimated 10,500 yuan, which has greatly increased their prosperity.

In 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs officially approved the national agricultural industry strong towns project and the Jilin Provincial Development and Reform Commission officially approved the Sandaohu Town Blueberry Small Town project.

To provide a strong guarantee for the promotion of planting and management technology, Sandaohu has established a demonstration and extension base for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of Jilin Agricultural University and the Jingyu R&D base of Jilin Province Blueberry Research Center.

In addition, the town has established a service system for the blueberry trading market.

A digital blueberry industry information center has been developed in the town, as well as a product traceability and after-sales evaluation service system.