According to statistics from the Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department, the first half of 2014 saw rapid growth in the bio-pharmaceutical industry in Yunnan province. The gross output value of the industry from January to June reached 15.88 billion yuan ($2.56 billion), a year-on-year growth of 27.8 percent.

After three years, a comprehensive bio-pharmaceutical industry system has been formed in Yunnan, which integrates R&D, manufacturing as well as marketing. Meanwhile, the bio-pharmaceutical industry has become a leading industry in Yunnan. So far, there are 659 high-tech enterprises, among which 177 are in the bio-pharmaceutical field. The number outstrips other emerging industries such as electronic information technology, new materials, and new energy resources.

The Kunming National Hi-Tech Industries Development Zone has certainly become a leader in Yunnan’s bio-pharmaceutical industry. According to statistics, the gross output of the zone in the past year reached 32.11 billion yuan. There are 21 enterprises in the zone whose annual value of production exceeds 100 million yuan. Among them, Yunnan Baiyao Co, Kunming Pharmaceutical Industry Co, and Kunming Dihon Pharmaceutical Co had outputs of more than 1 billion yuan per year.

By 2017, the number of large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturers in Yunnan is projected to exceed 200. The gross output of the bio-pharmaceutical industry will reach 100 billion yuan, among which 20 billion yuan will come from traditional Chinese medical herbs cultivation.

By Shi Zihan and edited by Nelly Min