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In 1997 Gansu Joy Agricultural Technology Co Ltd was founded and became one of the first domestic companies that focus on trade, research and cultivation of high-quality sunflower hybrid seeds, plantation of sunflowers and processing of sunflower oil.

The company has registered capital of more than 50 million yuan ($8.2 million). It employs staff members of more than 500, including more than 100 engineers and agronomists.

In 1997 the company established China's first high-quality sunflower industrial production base, filling a void in the domestic industry.

The company has passed the ISO 9001 quality system certification, ISO14001 environment system certification, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point certification, pollution-free place of origin and product certification, European Union's Ecocert certification and the organic food certification by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Since 1998, the company has undertaken a number of agricultural technological programs appointed by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Gansu Provincial Science and Technology Department, Gansu Provincial Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Department.

In 2003 the company was named a model company by the Ministry of Science and Technology in the nation's China Spark Program.

In 2003, the company initiated a farmer cooperative organization - the Minqin County Sunflower Association - which has 1,500 members and planted the sunflower plant site covering more than 13,333 hectares of land. It also started the Gansu Sunflower Association, which now has 31 group members and 2,300 individual members.

In 2004 it was honored as the "leading company in agriculture industrialization in Wuwei" as well as the "leading company in agriculture industrialization in Gansu".

In 2008 it was granted the title of "high-tech company in Gansu" and the Westerner brand was honored as the "famous trademark of Gansu".

In 2012 the company was listed in the top 100 private-owned companies in Gansu, ranking 13th.

For more information, please visit http://www.joygs.com/

(China Daily 07/18/2013 page18)