Food display is an indispensable part of the industry chain

　　According to the Quanzhou Food Association, in the first quarter of this year, the total output value of large-scale food enterprises in Quanzhou reached 23.686 billion yuan, remaining roughly the same as the previous year. Notably, the food manufacturing sector saw a more than 10% increase in March compared with February, signaling continued steady growth in the city's food industry.

　　Strengthening the Food Industry Chain

　　Industry experts believe that as China's largest base for snack foods, Quanzhou should emulate the model of the National Sugar and Alcoholic Products Trade Fair (also known as the Sugar and Wine Fair) to further enhance market infrastructure, leverage upstream and downstream advantages, and create a more stable 100-billion-yuan market for the industry.

　　Planning for a Large-Scale Industrial Park

　　Last year, the total output value of Quanzhou's food industry surpassed 100 billion yuan, making it the city's fourth major industrial cluster, after footwear, textiles, and petrochemicals. "This 100-billion-yuan target will be further surpassed in the future," said a spokesperson from the Jinjiang Economic and Information Bureau. With over 30 years of development, Jinjiang's food industry has diversified into more than ten categories and hundreds of product varieties, with nearly 400 enterprises and an annual output value exceeding 50 billion yuan.

　　Jinjiang's snack food sector dominates several major food-producing regions in China, with candy and bakery products topping the national production charts. The city produces around 25% of the nation's candy and 90% of the candy in Fujian Province, while its jelly production ranks second nationwide. "Jinjiang has become the largest snack food production base in China," said a local official. Based on this success, Jinjiang's five-year food industry plan targets a 100-billion-yuan market and has strategically allocated 3,400 acres for a new food industry park.

　　The park has already attracted major brands such as Hao Caitou Food Group and Yake Food Group, and a corresponding professional market has been established. The local government has introduced policies to support the orderly development of the market. As a provincial and municipal priority project, the newly established professional food market recently hosted events like the "Fujian-Guangdong Leisure Food Industry Chain Supply and Demand Matchmaking Conference." "Building a specialized market space is crucial for industry cohesion. It not only provides a permanent platform for displaying Quanzhou's food products, but also draws in food enterprises from nearby regions like Chaozhou in Guangdong," said a local industry representative. The modernized market is still under development, with plans to collect market and production data to create an information pool. This data will help inform production trends and optimize output, thereby establishing a comprehensive food industry ecosystem.

　　Cultivating International Exhibition Resources

　　Industry analysts note that during periods of economic transformation, the food industry must evolve beyond traditional models to avoid stagnation. A full industry chain operational model is inevitable, and professional exhibition resources, which act as barometers of industry trends, are essential to this process.

　　"Previously, many companies had to travel long distances to participate in trade fairs like the Sugar and Wine Fair, consuming considerable time and financial resources without always gaining useful information," said an official from the Jinjiang Bureau of Commerce. Since 2014, the city has leveraged its food industry advantages to develop a specialized food trade fair. "This year, we will focus more on expanding the reach of participating enterprises," said a representative from the event's organizing team. To make room for national and international exhibitors, the number of local participants has been reduced. Recently, the Jinjiang Food Association led a delegation to Thailand for market research and discussions with local food industries. "This year, Thai food enterprises will join the Fujian-Taiwan (Quanzhou) Food Trade Fair as a group," the official added. Through these connections, and leveraging China's Belt and Road Initiative, Quanzhou expects to help more local companies expand internationally.

　　In the future, the development of modernized food markets is expected to further increase the scale of the event. Several food companies from places like Xiamen are already setting up exhibition centers in Quanzhou. Industry insiders speculate that a model combining permanent market displays with large-scale trade fairs will be explored, ensuring that crucial market information stays within Quanzhou. "In the era of big data, research and its application will become increasingly important," said the official. Both professional markets and trade fairs are expected to become vital components of the industry chain, and Quanzhou, with its production capacity, has a significant opportunity to excel in this area.

　　(Reported by Wang Yujing, Correspondent Dong Peirong)