How far can a single grain of millet travel? As the "World's Millet Hometown," how can its brand shine brighter and its value chain extend further? Recently, at the consultative meeting themed "Deepening Public Brand Value, Activating Specialty Industry Momentum" hosted by the Aohan Banner Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), committee members, experts, and business representatives gathered to exchange practical ideas rather than empty talk, diagnosing pathways for the high-quality development of this "golden millet."
This marks the fifth consecutive year that the Aohan Banner CPPCC has focused its consultative discussions on the millet industry. Over the past five years, CPPCC members, industry specialists, enterprise leaders, and large-scale growers have steadily journeyed to farmlands, production workshops, and e-commerce livestream rooms to listen to grassroots voices, inspect the real industry landscape, and tackle development bottlenecks. This session once again established a consultative platform for direct government-enterprise dialogue and supply-demand alignment, bringing industrial challenges to the table and pooling strategies for enhanced quality and efficiency.
The Aohan Banner CPPCC conducted consultative discussions centered on the millet sector. Members and industry representatives, drawing from frontline experience, outlined the current realities of the millet industry: we boast a million-mu planting base, world-class ecological advantages, and a brand value exceeding thirty billion yuan—yet challenges persist, including refined brand management gaps, a fragmented market with numerous yet weak players, limited high-end product offerings, underdeveloped external sales channels, and uneven benefits from improved seed varieties. Around key areas such as seed cultivation, brand standardization, and deep processing, they systematically cataloged issues and proposed targeted recommendations, each tied to industry growth and farmers' income enhancement. In response to these candid observations, relevant functional departments provided on-site replies, clarifications, and commitments, transforming the session into a sincere exchange and a pragmatic action plan.
With sustained CPPCC support, the Aohan millet industry has undergone a transformative leap—from "quantity" to "quality," from "raw grain sales" to "brand market expansion," and from "scattered farming" to "collective prosperity." The intellectual outcomes of consultations are rapidly converting into tangible industrial results: brand governance has become more standardized. The Aohan Banner People's Government issued the Aohan Millet Public Brand Authorization Management Measures, standardizing three-tier logo operations and establishing a "millet ID" traceability platform. Market reach has broadened significantly. With over 10,000 offline direct-sale stores and supermarket counters nationwide, annual online sales hit 3 billion yuan, while the "Hundred Cities, Hundred Stores" initiative advances steadily. Through Beijing-Inner Mongolia collaboration, Aohan millet now directly supplies Beijing's core markets; it has appeared at international stages like the China International Import Expo, forging connections with enterprises from Malaysia, Iran, Spain, and beyond—propelling the regional brand toward national and global recognition. Processing chains have extended further. Multiple deep-processing production lines, including millet protein powder, functional meal replacement powders, and instant millet porridge, are accelerating in planning and construction. Currently, the banner hosts nearly 400 whole-grain business entities, with annual processing capacity for miscellaneous grains exceeding 50,000 tons, as Aohan millet steadily transitions from "selling raw grain" to "selling products" and "selling brands." Farmers' incomes have grown fatter. In 2024, contract farming covered over 80,000 mu, with more than 5,000 farming households securing guaranteed prices 0.2–0.5 yuan per jin above market rates. The industry generates over 50,000 local employment opportunities annually, and 150,000 farmers share in the value-added dividends. The dryland farming heritage conservation and poverty reduction model, epitomized by Aohan millet, was selected as a "Global Best Case for Poverty Reduction." Seed innovation has brightened. Zhonggu 109 has entered the demonstration and promotion phase, with 27 research institutes testing 115 new varieties side by side, positioning Aohan Banner as a national "experimental field" for foxtail millet seed innovation. Factor support has strengthened. The Aohan Banner Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau, in partnership with Aohan Rural Commercial Bank and Agricultural Bank of China, integrated loan approval and disbursement into a "3-day completion" process, waiving extra fees to ease financing for farmers and enterprises. Construction of 30,000-ton intelligent warehousing and logistics facilities is accelerating to safeguard millet quality from the source. Leveraging Beijing-Inner Mongolia collaboration, "Aohan Premium Products" promotional drives in Beijing continue, with Aohan millet now reaching 57 municipal party and government bodies, universities, and enterprises. The Aohan Banner CPPCC will persist in its role as a dedicated consultative body, closely tracking industry pain points and bottlenecks, pooling wisdom and precisely fulfilling duties to consolidate the specialty industry foundation, support comprehensive rural revitalization, and sustain a new chapter in enriching farmers and revitalizing agriculture.
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