The Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Department of Commerce of Shandong province signed a cooperation framework agreement on Aug 27 with their counterparts in South China's Guangdong province to jointly build the Vegetable Basket project of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Vegetable Basket project is a program initiated in May by local government to improve supplies of agricultural products in the Greater Bay Area market.

This marked the first inter-provincial agreement signed between Guangdong and other provinces, which will make full use of the resource endowment, industrial foundation, and geographical advantages of Shandong and the Greater Bay Area, as well as promote the economic cooperation and development of modern agriculture of the involved sides.

Shandong is an agricultural powerhouse and it is a major source of agricultural products for the nation, as well as for the neighboring countries of Japan and South Korea. Its agricultural exports have led the country for 20 consecutive years.

The province's famous vegetable bases such as Shouguang city and Lanling county are major suppliers for the country's metropolises, including Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai.

In recent years, the agricultural, economic, and trade relations between Shandong, Hong Kong, and Macao have been increasingly deepened with frequent exchanges and cooperation. An increasing number of Shandong agricultural products have become recognized by the Hong Kong market.

The Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has organized delegations to attend the Hong Kong Food and Beverage Exhibition three times. Exhibitions featuring Shandong's high-quality farm products and Shandong-Hong Kong high-level agricultural cooperation forums were held as well.

Based on its national vegetable quality standard center and the Weifang national agricultural open development comprehensive pilot zone, Shandong will create a standard system to serve the Vegetable Basket project of the Greater Bay Area and ensure the quality of their peanuts, vegetables, fruits, and aquatic products.

The province will also support local agricultural enterprises to expand investment and cooperation in the Greater Bay Area.

East China's Shandong province and South China's Guangdong province sign a cooperation framework agreement on Aug 27 to jointly build the Vegetable Basket project of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. [Photo/dzwww.com]

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is one of China's regions that call for coordinated development. [Photo/Xinhua]