HAIKOU, April 21. /TASS/. The gross product of Hainan's agricultural sector even amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and the general economic slowdown in China from January to March, grew by 0.4% year-on-year to 25.05 billion yuan ($ 3.54 billion at the current exchange rate), the regional statistical office reported on Tuesday.
“Hainan’s agriculture has managed to maintain growth, especially in the production of agricultural products, which our province specializes in,” Wang Yu, the department’s deputy head, told a news conference.
According to the published data, over three months, local farmers grew more than 2.63 million tonnes of vegetables (an increase of 2.8%), 1.41 million tonnes of fruits (an increase of 10.9%), collecting a rich harvest of tropical fruits — mango, longan, lychee and pitaya. The production of natural rubber for the corresponding period showed an especially noticeable growth by 528.3%.
At the same time, as specified in the report, due to the coronavirus pandemic in the first quarter, the province's GRP decreased by 4.5%, to 111.528 billion yuan ($ 15.76 billion), which is still 2.3 percentage points higher in dynamics than the national indicator for the same period. Unlike the agricultural sector, Hainan's gross industrial product decreased by 12.5%, to 18.07 billion yuan ($ 2.55 billion), the services sector — by 3.9%, to 68.4 billion yuan ($ 9.66 billion )
"During the next stage, Hainan, in accordance with the orders of the Chinese Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council, will consistently implement measures to combat coronavirus and ensure development. We will take particularly active steps to revitalize and restore socio-economic activity," said Wang Yu.
According to the official, the regional authorities plan to ensure the dynamics of the economy at the level of the initially planned indicators this year despite the existing difficulties.