In 2013, fixed assets investment in primary industries amounted to 70.5 billion yuan ($A12.1 billion), a 92.6% increase year on year.

The three-year high far surpassed the 13% appreciated by the secondary industries, where mining and manufacturing were included.

Data from the Shanxi Statistics Bureau showed that investors were more interested in farms than coal mines.

The recent economic downturn caused insecurities among resource-based industries in the province.

In 2008, the government started shutting down unqualified coal mines.

As the coal price continued to drop, investors gradually withdrew from the industry and agriculture filled the gap.

A series of favourable policies for agriculture have helped the inflow of capital into the sector, guaranteeing agriculture‘s security and improving farmers' incomes.

It made agriculture investment easier for coal mine operators and agriculture in Shanxi has developed quickly as a result.