Chinese agricultural products are listed for the first time on transnational retail giants' purchasing lists, said Cao Derong, vice-director of Market System Development under the Ministry of Commerce.

Cao spoke at the on-going Third Transnational Retail Group Purchasing Fair and First National Country Commercial Fair in Nanjing, a city in East China's Jiangsu Province.

The fair has attracted global retail giants including Carrefour, Wal-mart, Metro, Lotus, and B&Q, with some enterprises reaching intents of cooperation agreements.

According to signed memos, the Food Safety Fund of Carrefour will support training of rural Chinese workers, agricultural products providers, and local commercial staff in terms of agricultural products circulation and quality and safety management.

The Anhui and Henan commerce departments also signed intent of cooperation agreements with Procter and Gamble on pilot sites of a Ministry of Commerce-sponsored marketing program aimed to build a network for rural consumption circulation and management.

Shuanghui Group (stock code: 000895), one of the leading meat-processing companies in China, will invest 10 million yuan (US$1.31 million) to improve the business conditions in rural area, and Beijing Shunxin Agriculture Co Ltd (stock code:000860) will provide logistics service to firms involved in the Market Project.

Guangzhou Liby Enterprise Group, a large-scale enterprise for cosmetic and personal care products, and Yili Group, one of the leading dairy processing enterprises in China, will develop cosmetic and personal care products and dairy products aiming at the agricultural market, in an effort to help develop the project.

Sources said that more than 10,000 delegates attended the fair, which featured 33 international retail giants from more than 10 countries and areas, and more than 60 exhibition booths.