XINING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China is to publish a price index for wolfberry.

The Xinhua-Qaidam index will be made public in the middle of the year, according to the government of Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the northwestern province of Qinghai.

"Thanks to the Qaidam Basin's unique climate and natural resources, wolfberries here are firm and of very good quality," said Pan Liqing, head of the Haixi bureau of agriculture and animal husbandry. Most of the Qaidam Basin is in the prefecture.

"Qinghai is a major production and trading base of wolfberry. The index will definitely help brand-building of Qaidam wolfberry," said Yang Youzhi, deputy head of the prefecture.