Traffic congestion has led to a rethink of how Bejing's Xinfadi market will be organized, with plans to shift storage and processing facilities to Tianjin and the Hebei province.

News agency Xinhua reported the capital's largest wholesale market - located to the city's south outside the fourth ring road - currently has an annual trade of 14 million metric tons (MT) of meat, fruit and vegetables and 5,000 wholesalers.

Xinfadi Agricultural Goods Incorporation director Zhang Yuxi said the number of sellers would be reduced to 2,000 over the next five years, Xinhua reported.

"We will integrate some smaller wholesalers into bigger ones, and only keep the strong players in the market," Zhang was quoted as saying.

"We plan to build better facilities in the market and improve its surroundings and ease traffic jam [sic] in the area."

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