"Held in Yantai every year since 1999, the fair has provided a significant exchange and cooperation platform for Chinese and foreign companies on fruit and vegetable cultivation and processing," Meng Fanli, mayor of the city, said at the opening ceremony of the fair.

"Over the years, it has become one of China's most influential expos in the fruit, vegetable and food industry," Meng said. He added that the fair attracted 1.5 million visitors and 2,100 major delegations from across the world during the past 14 years.

The foreign trade value was reported at more than $12 million in all, including $9.22 million in exports.

As China's major fruit and vegetable production area, Yantai's own products were a highlight of this year's event, led by its apples, which were given geographic indication status by the State Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine Administration in 2002.

Statistics from the local agriculture bureau showed that 181,333 hectares of apple cultivation in Yantai yielded 4.95 million tons last year.

This accounted for 16 percent of the country's total and made the city the nation's largest red Fuji apple producer.

It brought in 12.7 billion yuan ($2.1 billion) in revenue, which accounted for more than 80 percent of local farmers' income.

More than 120 varieties of apple-related products received certification for pollution-free agricultural products and organic food.

Almost 20 fruit companies received the European Union's Good Agricultural Practices certification (GAP), which earned Yantai the name of China's green food city.

Yantai's apple GI trademark was valued at 9.4 billion yuan last year, which ranked top among fruit brands and second among agricultural product brands in China, according to a report by a research center for Chinese agricultural brands.

Cherries are another well-known fruit from Yantai, where cherry trees have grown for 130 years.

More than 25,000 hectares of cherry trees produce about 190,000 tons of the fruit a year.

The cherries are exported to more than 60 countries and regions, including South Korea, Germany and the Untied States.

Yantai features a complete fruit production and processing line. Every year more than 2 million tons of fruit grown in the city are processed into more than 100 varieties of products such as juice, jam and canned and preserved fruit.

With farming and processing strengths, local agricultural companies have expanded abroad.

Last year more than 300,000 tons of fruit was exported to more than 60 countries and regions, which accounted for 20 percent of the nation's total exports.