China reported a farm produce export volume of US$9.51 billion in the first half of thisyear, a year-on-year rise of 18.7 percent.

The assistant to the minister of commerce, Guo Li, told a meeting held Wednesday in this capital of south China's Guangdong province that the growth rate was one of the highest over the pastdecade.

The export volume of animal products to the European Union, shenoted, amounted to US$300 million, up 88.2 percent over the same period of last year.

The export of corn saw a rise of 92.1 percent to stand at 6.994 million tons in the first half of this year, following last year'srapid growth brought by soaring prices on the international market.

Guo added that aquatic products and garden farm produce also increased by 15.8 percent and 20.4 percent respectively.

The country had made great efforts to reach such a favorable growth rate in farm produce export despite the impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) disease, Guo said.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2003)