XI'AN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Shaanxi Province produced 350,000 tonnes of apple-juice concentrate last year, giving it the top national ranking for output of the product, industry sources said.

In 2019, about 147,600 tonnes of apple-juice concentrate was exported, with a total value of about 1.15 billion yuan (about 167.77 million U.S. dollars). Major consumer markets include the United States, South Africa, Russia, Japan and Australia, said Wei Yan'an, head of the Shaanxi Fruit Industry Center.

About 9.22 million mu (over 614,600 hectares) of land in Shaanxi was devoted to apple cultivation in 2019, with an output of about 11.36 million tonnes, giving the province the top national ranking in both respects, according to the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs.

The large cultivation area and the stability of apple production have contributed to the rapid development of the fruit-processing industry in the province, which covers the processing of juice concentrate, juice, wine, vinegar and chips, said Wei. Enditem