China starts regular importation of Kenyan anchovies

CHANGSHA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A 52-tonne shipment of Kenyan anchovies arrived in central China's Hunan Province on Wednesday, marking the start of China's regular, large-scale importation of the small fish from the East African nation.

The dried anchovies were received in the city of Yueyang after a one-month journey across the ocean and on the Yangtze River, said Changsha Customs, which conducted the quarantine and clearance of the fish.

China started to import anchovies from Kenya in June with a 315-kg batch taking a flight to reach Hunan. Kenyan officials have hailed the historic consignment for injecting fresh vitality into the local blue economy.

Jinzai Food Group, a Hunan-based snack company that purchased the anchovies, said the fish will be made into a popular Hunan-flavored snack at its factory. The company has built a factory in Kenya for processing, drying and packaging anchovies before they set off for the Chinese market.

Changsha Customs said it is actively implementing China's initiative of building a "green channel" for agricultural and food imports from Africa and has taken multiple measures to raise customs clearance efficiency.

Hunan is one of the most active provinces in terms of economic and trade ties with Africa and a trailblazer in China-Africa cooperation. The province's trade with Africa reached 34.69 billion yuan (4.82 billion U.S. dollars), a yearly increase of 18 percent, in the first seven months of this year.