Qingdao's agricultural exports reached 26.2 billion yuan ($3.87 billion) in the first half of 2026, accounting for 30.8 percent of Shandong province's total and increasing 11.4 percent year-on-year. The growth rate was 5.8 percentage points higher than the provincial average, demonstrating the city's resilience and competitiveness in global agricultural markets.

The strong performance was supported by Qingdao's efforts to develop export-oriented agricultural industry clusters. The city has established two agricultural industry value chains each valued at more than 100 billion yuan, eight at more than 10 billion yuan and 15 at more than 1 billion yuan, creating a diversified foundation for overseas growth.

Traditional agricultural sectors remain key drivers of growth. Konde Group's rabbit meat products account for more than 70 percent of China's exports, while Jiaozhou chili exports represent 80 percent of the national total. Qingdao's kimchi exports to South Korea also account for 70 percent of China's shipments.

The city has further strengthened the competitiveness of its agricultural sector through industrial upgrading and international cooperation. Qingdao now has more than 1,100 agricultural processing enterprises above designated size, generating annual revenue of 248.9 billion yuan. Local companies have expanded overseas through international exhibitions and platforms such as the China–SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area.

Digital technologies are also driving agricultural transformation. Through a smart agriculture big data platform, more than 1,300 vegetable production bases are now able to manage all processes digitally.

Looking ahead, Qingdao plans to diversify export markets, strengthen overseas supply chains and promote higher-value agricultural products, with a goal of surpassing 50 billion yuan in agricultural exports this year.

Qingdao's agricultural exports maintain strong growth in the first half of 2026, supported by industrial upgrading and digital transformation. [Photo/Dazhong News]