YINCHUAN — Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region signed a deal on Dec 7 with South Chungcheong province of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to co-develop the goji berry industry.

According to the deal signed virtually, the two sides will strengthen government-level exchanges on industry policies, market trends, and goji culture. The deal will also enhance cooperation among processors and manufacturers of the berry to jointly promote the cultivation of goji varieties, production technologies and product development.

In an online business talk in October, Ningxia and South Chungcheong, which are the main producing areas of the berry, established point-to-point contact among goji berry industry associations, research institutions and leading enterprises on both sides.

Ningxia had planted over 66,600 hectares of goji berries by the end of 2019, with derivative products like goji masks exported to over 40 countries and regions.