Workers clean fresh goji berries at a goji berry processing company in Zhongning County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, July 1, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

The output value of the Goji berry industrial chain in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region totaled 27 billion yuan (about 3.9 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022, official data showed on Wednesday.

By the end of last year, the Goji berry planting area in Ningxia was 380,000 mu (about 25,333 hectares), with the annual output of fresh Goji berries rising to 300,000 tonnes. There are now more than 100 types of deeply processed Goji berry products, according to a press conference ahead of a Goji berry expo that is set to be held in Ningxia.

Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, are a specialty in Ningxia and famous for their nutritional value. China's history with this particular berry dates back thousands of years. In ancient herbal medicine, its functions included protecting the liver, improving eyesight and conserving strength.

According to a development plan for Goji berries in Ningxia, the annual industrial output of Goji berries is expected to reach 68 billion yuan by 2027, and that number will increase to 100 billion yuan by 2030.