Production of traditional Chinese medicinal materials grows steadily

BEIJING, March 21 (Xinhua) -- China's production of traditional Chinese medicinal materials has maintained stable growth in recent years, an agricultural official said Friday.

The supply capacity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) materials has continued to climb. The planting areas have now reached around 50 million mu (3.33 million hectares) across China, doubling over the past decade, Liu Lihua with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs told a press conference.

The production layout has been optimized and seven major regions that specialize in authentic medicinal materials have formed across the country, Liu said.

China will work to build a number of high-level authentic medicinal material production bases, bolster the growth of advantageous TCM industrial clusters and specialized towns, and build distinctive herbal medicine brands to promote the high-quality development of the TCM industry, the official said.