Two farmhands tend to blueberries at a plantation in Jilin province. [Photo/Jilin news network]

In Northeast China's Jilin province, farmers have been expanding their incomes by increasingly growing blueberries – responding to incentives and new policies that have been rolled out – according to local media reports.

Changbai Mountain in the region is regarded as being one of the best blueberry producing areas in China, with a special small berry boasting a unique flavor and having great nutritional and health values.

Changbai Mountain blueberries are produced in Jilin province in regions including Changbai, Jingyu County and Fusong counties. They are also cultivated in Linjiang, Dunhua and Hunchun cities, as well as in the Jiangyuan and Badaojiang districts of Baishan city.

From the initial 310 mu (20.67 hectares) to the current 32,000 mu over the past 20 years, the scale of the blueberry industry has increased 100 times, becoming one of the important pillars of Jingyu county's specialized industries.

A panoramic view of a blueberry plantation in Jilin province [Photo/Jilin news network]

In Zhibian, in Jingyu county, the blueberry industry has taken over the entire village.

In 2015, with the strong support of provincial and municipal departments, the village applied for poverty alleviation funding of 1.35 million yuan ($199,665) to grow the fruit.

In that year, its blueberry planting area reached 1,500 mu, accounting for 93 percent of the arable land of the village.

In 2002, Jilin Tonghua Heyun Modern Agriculture Co was established – the first company in China to establish blueberry commercialization through cooperation between schools and enterprises.

After nearly 20 years of development, the company has developed into an operation that integrates blueberry breeding, planting, storage and processing.

A field of blueberries being grown in Jilin province [Photo/Jilin news network]