"We think that we took some really positive steps in that direction and we expect that over the coming years we would do more investment, in particular in marketing, to build that consumer awareness of these two lesser-known berries, so that Driscoll's over the coming years would not be known just as a blueberry company, but actually a berry company," he said.

他说：“我们认为，我们在这个方向上采取了一些非常积极的步骤，我们预计在未来几年，我们将进行更多的投资，特别是在营销方面，以建立消费者对这两种鲜为人知的浆果的认识，这样Driscoll’s在未来几年间将不仅仅是一家蓝莓公司，而是一家浆果公司。”。

The unit unveiled standards, including products classification and packaging specifications for its fresh food such as crawfish, apple, cherry, blueberry and crabs, so as to enhance the added-value of products and reduce costs.

Once known for its polluting stone mining and processing industry, the town is now a picturesque place with the largest blueberry production base in the province.

Vast areas of its surrounding hills are adorned with blueberry bushes, with a planting area of over 1,660 hectares that produced 8,000 metric tons of fresh blueberry last year, according to the township government, accounting for 30 percent of the total blueberry production in Shandong.

In fact, blueberry production and consumption have been on the rise in China in recent years.

The country surpassed the United States as the world's largest blueberry producer in 2021, with Guizhou, Liaoning, Shandong, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces being the main blueberry-producing regions, according to a report.

The blueberry market is expected to witness further growth in the years ahead, the 2023 State of the Global Blueberry Industry Report, released by the International Blueberry Organization, said.

"This preference has led to the cultivation of new blueberry varieties tailored to the domestic market," said Yao, who has been working in blueberry business for five years.

It is difficult to expand the blueberry planting area because of strict measures aimed at protecting arable land that is used to grow grain.

Miao Ning, 38, who runs a blueberry orchard in Chentuan town in Donggang district of Rizhao, Shandong province, is familiar with every stage of the fruit's growth.

Fifteen years ago, when he was employed by an agricultural company in the town, little did Miao expect that the blueberry seedlings he planted would blossom into such a thriving industry.

These days, rows of neatly arranged blueberry bushes are spread across the expansive hilly terrain that dots Chentuan.

"At that time, our company was the first to attempt blueberry cultivation in the town," said Miao, who graduated from Weifang University in Shandong in 2008 with a master's degree in biological sciences.

His academic background equipped him with extensive agricultural knowledge in seedling cultivation and soil-related studies, which he applied effectively to blueberry cultivation.

Miao was unsure if the land in Chentuan could support the development of a blueberry industry.

Rizhao's abundant sunshine — owing to its location in the southern part of Shandong — and the sandy soil with optimal pH levels (which measure acidity or basicity) create an ideal natural environment for blueberry cultivation.

In addition to the favorable natural conditions, the local government has played a crucial role in promoting the blueberry industry as a means of improving the livelihoods of local farmers.

"The local government has been providing us with supportive policies such as subsidies in land use, which have facilitated the rapid growth of the blueberry industry," said Miao.

In 2014, Miao established his own company dedicated to blueberry cultivation and production, which has since become a leading agricultural enterprise in the district.

His blueberry growing base now spans over 120 hectares, providing jobs to many villagers during the peak picking season.

"When the harvest season is in full swing, we require a workforce of over 600 farmers to pick and sort the blueberries on our farm," said Miao, whose story is a testament to the remarkable potential of the blueberry industry in Chentuan.

Li's song has made "dark plum jam" one of the top 10 searched phrases on e-commerce platform Taobao, with the number of searches surging 200-fold in the first week of the song's debut, with sales of apple and blueberry jam products on the platform surging 100 percent year-on-year.

In terms of flavor, cherry, blueberry and cranberry have become the most popular flavors in the past three years, the institute said.

There are e-cigarettes that resemble a car key, mini guitar or USB flash drive, and come in flavors like blueberry, green tea and lavender.

Last year, the ice cream maker introduced special ice cream flavors like cherry blossom, lavender and blueberry, and raspberry and white peach in China.

For example, in February the Belgian company AB InBev launched Ritas Spritz, with a lower alcohol content and flavors that include White Peach Rose, Pear Orange Sangria and Strawberry Blueberry Sangria.