The list of 106 substances included in the “Catalogue of Food‑Medicine Homology” issued by the National Health Commission, compiled through a comprehensive analysis of cultivation and farming areas, output value, geographic distribution, and market prices (Note: Some data are estimated or presented as ranges due to varietal characteristics or differences in statistical methodologies).
I. The 87 substances published in 2002
1. Rhizomatous vegetables
- Chinese yam
- Cultivation area: Approximately 40,000 mu in Wen County, Henan Province; total nationwide cultivation exceeds 500,000 mu.
- Production value: Wen County’s iron‑stick yam generates an annual output value of RMB 2 billion, with a brand value of RMB 362 million.
- Distribution: Henan (Wen County), Shandong, Hebei.
- Market prices: fresh product, 8–15 yuan/kg; dried product, 30–60 yuan/kg.
- Poria cocos
- Cultivation area: Approximately 100,000 mu in Yunnan, Anhui, and other regions.
- Production value: Yunnan’s Poria cocos generates an annual output value exceeding RMB 1 billion.
- Distribution: Yunnan, Anhui, Hubei.
- Market prices: bulk grade 20–30 yuan/kg, premium grade 40–60 yuan/kg.
2. Fruit and Seed Category
- Goji berries
- Cultivation area: Ningxia’s cultivated area is approximately 1 million mu, accounting for more than 60% of the national total.
- Production value: The total output value of Ningxia’s goji berry industry chain has exceeded RMB 20 billion.
- Distribution: Ningxia (Zhongning), Gansu, Qinghai.
- Market prices: Standard Ningxia goji berries, 50–80 yuan/kg; premium grade, 100–150 yuan/kg.
- Hawthorn
- Cultivation area: Approximately 500,000 mu of land is cultivated in Shandong, Hebei, and other regions.
- Production value: Shandong’s hawthorn industry generates an annual output value exceeding RMB 3 billion.
- Distribution: Shandong, Hebei, and Henan.
- Market prices: fresh fruit 3–8 yuan/kg, dried product 10–20 yuan/kg.
3. Flowers
- Chrysanthemum
- Cultivation area: In Anhui Province, the planting area in Bozhou, Huangshan, and other regions totals approximately 200,000 mu.
- Production value: Bozhou chrysanthemum production is valued at over RMB 1.5 billion annually.
- Distribution: Anhui, Henan, Zhejiang.
- Market prices: Boju bulk grade 30–40 yuan/kg, Gongju 80–120 yuan/kg.
- Honeysuckle
- Cultivation area: Over 500,000 mu of farmland in Pingyi, Shandong, and Fengqiu, Henan.
- Production value: The annual output value of honeysuckle in Shandong exceeds RMB 5 billion.
- Distribution: Shandong, Henan, Hebei.
- Market prices: Standard-grade product 80–120 yuan/kg; premium-grade product 150–200 yuan/kg.
4. Other Categories
- Honey
- Cultivation and breeding area: The national bee colony population is approximately 9 million hives.
- Production value: In 2024, China’s honey market exceeded RMB 30 billion.
- Distribution: Widely distributed throughout the country, with Henan, Sichuan, and Yunnan as the main producing provinces.
- Market prices: Acacia honey 40–60 yuan/kg, wild honey 80–150 yuan/kg.
- Coix Seed
- Cultivation area: Approximately 300,000 mu in Guizhou, Sichuan, and other regions.
- Production value: The annual output value of Coix seed in Guizhou exceeds RMB 1 billion.
- Distribution: Guizhou, Sichuan, and Yunnan.
- Market prices: Standard-grade product 12–18 yuan/kg; premium-grade product 20–25 yuan/kg.
II. Six New Substances Added in 2019
1. Rhizomatous vegetables
- Angelica sinensis
- Cultivation area: In Min County, Gansu Province, the cultivated area is approximately 200,000 mu, accounting for 70% of the national total.
- Production value: The annual output value of Angelica sinensis in Min County exceeds RMB 3 billion.
- Distribution: Gansu (Min County), Yunnan, Sichuan.
- Market prices: Standard-grade product 30–40 yuan/kg; premium-grade product 50–70 yuan/kg.
- Turmeric
- Cultivation area: Approximately 50,000 mu of land is cultivated in Qianwei, Sichuan, Yunnan, and other regions.
- Production value: Sichuan’s turmeric generates an annual output value exceeding RMB 500 million.
- Distribution: Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi.
- Market prices: Whole turmeric 25–35 yuan/kg, sliced turmeric 30–40 yuan/kg.
2. Fruit and Seed Category
- Amomum tsao-ko
- Cultivation area: In Yunnan and Guizhou, the planted area is approximately 500,000 mu.
- Production value: Yunnan’s amomum tsao-ko generates an annual output value exceeding RMB 2 billion.
- Distribution: Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi.
- Market prices: Standard-grade product 40–60 yuan/kg; premium-grade product 70–90 yuan/kg.
III. Nine Newly Added Substances in 2023
1. Rhizomatous vegetables
- Astragalus
- Cultivation and planting area: Over 500,000 mu in Longxi, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia.
- Production value: The annual output value of Gansu’s Astragalus exceeds RMB 5 billion.
- Distribution: Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi.
- Market prices: bulk product 20–30 yuan/kg, sliced astragalus 30–50 yuan/kg.
- Codonopsis
- Cultivation area: Over 300,000 mu of land has been planted in Weiyuan, Gansu, and Changzhi, Shanxi.
- Production value: The annual output value of Gansu Codonopsis exceeds RMB 3 billion.
- Distribution: Gansu, Shanxi, Shaanxi.
- Market prices: Standard-grade product 30–40 yuan/kg; premium-grade product 50–70 yuan/kg.
2. Fungi
- Lingzhi
- Cultivation area: Approximately 50,000 mu in Guan County, Shandong, and Huoshan County, Anhui.
- Production value: Shandong’s annual output value of lingzhi exceeds RMB 2 billion.
- Distribution: Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang.
- Market prices: Common-grade linden‑wood Ganoderma lucidum, 80–120 yuan/kg; spore powder, 200–500 yuan/kg.
3. Other Categories
- Dendrobium officinale
- Cultivation area: Approximately 30,000 mu in Yunnan and Zhejiang.
- Production value: The annual output value of Dendrobium officinale in Yunnan exceeds RMB 3 billion.
- Distribution: Yunnan, Zhejiang, Guangxi.
- Market prices: fresh strips 150–300 yuan/kg, Fengdou 800–1,500 yuan/kg.
IV. Four New Substances Added in 2024
1. Rhizomatous vegetables
- Rehmannia
- Cultivation area: Approximately 100,000 mu in Jiaozuo, Henan, and Shanxi.
- Production value: The annual output value of Henan’s Rehmannia glutinosa exceeds RMB 1 billion.
- Distribution: Henan (Jiaozuo), Shanxi, Shaanxi.
- Market prices: Fresh rehmannia root, 6–10 yuan/kg; dried rehmannia root, 20–30 yuan/kg.
- Ophiopogon japonicus
- Cultivation area: In Santai County, Sichuan, the planting area totals 73,000 mu, accounting for 70% of the national total.
- Production value: The total production value of the entire industrial chain for Mianyang’s “Fucheng Ophiopogon” has reached RMB 4.2 billion.
- Distribution: Sichuan, Zhejiang, Jiangsu.
- Market prices: Standard-grade product 80–120 yuan/kg; premium-grade product 150–200 yuan/kg.
2. Fruit and Seed Category
- Citrus Peel
- Cultivation area: In Huazhou, Guangdong, the planted area totals 132,000 mu.
- Production value: The total output value of the whole industrial chain for Citrus grandis (Huajuhong) exceeds RMB 10 billion.
- Distribution: Guangdong (Huazhou), Guangxi.
- Market prices: fresh fruit at RMB 8 per jin or higher; dried fruit at RMB 200–500 per kilogram.
V. Case Studies of Typical Regional Industrial Clusters
1. Ophiopogon japonicus from Santai, Sichuan
- Cultivation area: 73,000 mu; output accounts for 70% of the national total.
- Production value: The entire industrial chain generated 4.2 billion yuan in output, with a target to exceed 10 billion yuan by 2025.
- Market prices: Dried fruits are 140 yuan/kg, while derivative products (such as Ophiopogon tea) retail at 30–80 yuan per box.
2. Huazhou Citrus Peel from Guangdong
- Cultivation area: 132,000 mu; annual fresh fruit production: 62,000 tons.
- Production value: The entire industrial chain has a total output value exceeding RMB 10 billion, with products exported to more than 30 countries and regions.
- Market prices: fresh fruit at RMB 8 per jin or higher; premium-grade orange‑red medicinal slices at RMB 500–1,000 per kilogram.
3. Yunnan Longling Purple-Skin Dendrobium
- Cultivation area: 39,000 mu; output: 9,000 tons.
- Production performance: Annual output value of RMB 5.8 billion, accounting for 80% of the national market share of purple‑skin Dendrobium.
- Market prices: fresh strips 150–250 yuan/kg, Fengdou 800–1,200 yuan/kg.
VI. Market Price Fluctuations and Trends
1. Volatile Commodities
- Cicada slough: In 2024, the price ranged from 920 to 1,300 yuan per kilogram, with limited new‑harvest supply during the peak season keeping prices elevated.
- Coptis: In 2024, the price ranged from 310 to 340 yuan per kilogram, influenced by reduced production and capital market participation.
- Atractylodes macrocephala: Following the 2024 harvest, prices have declined, with bulk-grade products ranging from 90 to 130 yuan per kilogram.
2. Stable varieties
- Goji berries: Prices remain stable at 50–80 yuan/kg, with demand remaining inelastic.
- Chrysanthemums: Boju bulk grade 30–40 yuan/kg; Gongju 80–120 yuan/kg, subject to seasonal and quality variations.
3. Emerging Varieties
- Asparagus: In Neijiang, Sichuan, the cultivated area totals 50,000 mu, with a full-industry-chain output value exceeding RMB 1 billion. Fresh asparagus sells for RMB 8–12 per kilogram, while processed products—such as asparagus paste—are priced at RMB 50–100 per bottle.
VII. Policy and Market Outlook
1. Policy Support
- The National Health Commission’s “Regulations on the Administration of the Catalogue of Food‑Drug Substances” clarifies efficacy labeling, thereby promoting standardized development.
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has incorporated the principle of “medicine and food sharing a common origin” into its national strategy in the Outline for China’s Food and Nutrition Development (2025–2030).
2. Market Forecast
- By 2030, the market size of food-as-medicine is expected to exceed RMB 200 billion, with young consumers accounting for over 65% of total spending.
- The export structure continues to improve, with the 2024 export value of traditional Chinese medicinal materials and processed slices reaching US$1.2 billion, nearly 80% of which is destined for Asia.
3. Development Recommendations
- Ecological conservation: Promote the “seed‑retention farming” model in Peixian County, Jiangsu, mandating the retention of 20% of seed resources.
- Technology Transfer: Drawing on the “industry–university–research–application” model of Shanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, increase the rate of technology transfer from universities to over 50%.
VIII. Data Notes
1. Statistical scope: Data on cultivated and planted areas and output value are primarily sourced from local government reports, industry associations, and authoritative institutions (such as the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the China Business Industry Research Institute).
2. Price Fluctuations: Market prices are significantly influenced by origin, quality, and seasonality. The prices listed above represent reference rates for the mainstream market during the 2024–2025 period.
3. Regional Differences: For the same variety, prices and production values can vary significantly across different growing regions; for example, the brand premium for Huajuhong in Huazhou, Guangdong, is markedly higher than in other producing areas.
For more precise data, it is recommended to consult the China Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Development Report (2024) or contact local agricultural and rural affairs authorities to obtain the latest statistical information.
Disclaimer: This article does not endorse any brand or company; it is intended solely for public education and as a reference for functional food research and development. The illustrations in this article are sourced from e-commerce screenshots and the internet.
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