'Red Beauty' highlighted at this year's two sessions

Chen Shufang, a deputy to the National People's Congress, holds Xiangshan Red Beauty, a characteristic produce from Xiangshan county, Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

A national legislator has called for more efforts to promote the reform of the agricultural insurance system to protect farmers' interests and facilitate agricultural modernization.

Chen Shufang, a deputy to the National People's Congress, made the suggestion while attending the nation's top legislative body's annual session, which commenced in Beijing on March 5.

Such moves will help the country's livestock and poultry industry lower investment costs, achieve higher production efficiency and raise food safety, said Chen, who is deputy head of the Livestock and Poultry Research Institute at the Ningbo Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Chen, who has for many years been helping drive common prosperity in rural areas, also used the conference as an opportunity to promote a characteristic produce of Ningbo – Xiangshan Red Beauty.

Red Beauty is a variety of citrus fruit renowned for its sweetness and aroma. The fruit, which originated in Japan, was in 2001 introduced to Ningbo's Xiangshan county where it become popular among locals and was later promoted in other cities.