Sanmenxia exported 474 tons of edible fungi, valued at more than 50 million yuan ($8.17 million), in the first seven months of 2013, according to the Sanmenxia bureau of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine.
The export amount and export value were 3.88 and 3.81 times bigger than the city's total exports of edible fungi in 2012, respectively.
To increase the export amount of edible fungi, technical personnel from the bureau visited growers, production bases and processing enterprises to help improve the safety of edible fungi. A complete safety testing system was also established in the city to promote exports.
In early July, a batch of dried edible fungi from the city was exported to Japan after passing quarantine inspection. The export order, involving 6.8 tons of black edible fungi, was valued at $134,040. More orders are expected if the black fungi find a market in Japan.
In June, the Sanmenxia bureau of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine learned that some Japanese companies planned to import dried edible fungi. The bureau then contacted the local exporters and conducted quality and quarantine inspections of fungi for pesticides and heavy metal residue. All inspections found that the black edible fungi were up to standards and could be exported.
Japan has the most rigid requirements on the imports of edible fungi in the world. The exports signify that the dried black edible fungi from Lushi county can meet strict requirements and standards and can be exported to any country in the world.
Lushi county under the administration of Sanmenxia is a major producer of black edible fungi. The county's output is 150,000 to 200,000 tons.
Black edible fungi from Lushi, a mountainous county in Sanmenxia, were certified for protection as a national geographical identity product and a product of country of origin in 2012. With the certifications, the county can grow more edible fungi, which are expected to grab bigger shares of domestic and global markets.
Edited by Michael Thai
