Shanxi province's capital city Taiyuan plans to increase its aged vinegar industry's output value to 10 billion yuan ($1.55 billion) by 2020, more than three times its current level.
Taiyuan, birthplace of Shanxi well-aged vinegar, has 48 vinegar production enterprise clusters, with popular brands such as Shuita, Zilin, Meiheju, and Yiyuanqing.
The city's well-aged vinegar industry produced 670,000 tons of product in 2015, accounting for 81.5 percent of total output in Shanxi province, or 18.7 percent across China. The industry's output value was 2.53 billion yuan last year.
To establish the aged vinegar industry as a pillar for the city, Taiyuan will upgrade the current industrial structure, expanding production by 150 tons per year with over 10 billion yuan of output value.
Key backbone vinegar production enterprises in Taiyuan – Shuita, Zilin, East Lake Mature Vinegar, and Ninghua House -- will seek public listing with financing of 3-billion-yuan.
An industrial park will be in place to put the city's vinegar producers together for better management and improved competitiveness.
As much as 50 million yuan is allocated annually by the Taiyuan government to promote brand awareness, research, marketing, e-commerce, and financing.
Shanxi province has a 3,000-year history of making vinegar and enjoys a great reputation for its unique well-aged vinegar brewing techniques.