Nori farms in Rudong County’s coastal region are in the busy time of seeding. Known for a good quality, both in appearance and taste, the county’s export of toasted nori reached $29.8 million in the first eight months this year.

Rudong is the first area in China to cultivate and process P. yezoensis, one of the edible seaweed species of the red algae genus Pyropia. Now it’s China’s largest exporting base of P. yezoensis and P. tenera, and the booming industry has become an important income source for local fishermen.

Among supportive efforts, local government and the county’s nori association have standardized quality and safety control, coordinated branding management, and improved farming technologies. According to the regulation, only nori with a quality above grade IV is allowed to use the national geographical indication mark, which has strengthened the produce’s market recognition and reputation.

In the latest bidding, the average price of Rudong’s nori reached 34.11 yuan per 100 sheets, up 6.36 percent than last year and also the most expensive in the province.

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