China News Service, Xiji, Ningxia, September 9th, title: Visiting the "Hometown of Potatoes in China": Unlimited "Potato Light" in Xiji
China News Service reporter Yu Jing
On September 9, the reporter walked into the 10,000-mu potato planting base in Hongyao County, Xiji County. The lush and lush potato fields spread across the fields, playing the "harvest music" of increasing income and becoming rich.
Xiji County, Guyuan, Ningxia was once called "one of the most unsuitable areas for human survival" by the United Nations.
"Bitter Jia Tianxia" is a portrayal of Xiji. This barren land is the birthplace of my country's poverty alleviation and development, and the main battlefield for poverty alleviation.
Potatoes were once the main food for the poor people in Xihaigu, Ningxia.
The harsh natural environment such as sandstorm, scorching sun, and loess brings difficulties to people's lives, but it is also more suitable for potato planting and growth.
Potatoes have been introduced to China for more than 400 years, and they have been grown in Xiji County for more than 300 years.
After a long period of ecological adaptability selection, coupled with the continuous renewal and replacement of varieties, the potato has become more adapted to the different natural climate types of Xiji and has become one of Xiji's preferred crops.
In 2004, Xiji County was named the "Hometown of Potatoes in China".
Nowadays, a resounding name has reminded the world of Siji, and the abundance of potatoes here also allows more than 400,000 Siji farmers to live a good life.
The staff inspected the original seeds of hydroponic potatoes at the potato breeding base.
Photo by Yu Jing
In recent years, with the continuous expansion and extension of the local potato industry chain, the entire potato industry chain from seed potato breeding to food deep processing has gradually become clear. The past "life-saving beans" on the dry plateau have become "rich beans", and potatoes have become An important industry for local poverty alleviation and prosperity.
When meeting with the reporter, Wang Haitao, a villager in Jingwan Village, Hongyao Township, had just returned from the field, holding two potatoes stained with soil in his hands.
"The'rations' that my ancestors have relied on for a living have now helped me get rid of poverty and made me rich. From being impoverished in the past, I now have an annual income of 150,000 yuan (RMB, the same below)." Wang Haitao grinned.
The entire Jingwan Village relied on potatoes to get rid of poverty in 2016.
Su Linfu, director of the Potato Industry Service Center of Xiji County, told reporters that, starting from seeds, Xiji's potatoes are unusual.
The two detoxification breeding centers of Ningxia Jiali and Xiji Potato Seed Industry alone can breed 50 million original seeds per year and support more than 20 business entities to build 10,000 mu of original seed bases and 100,000 first-level seed bases. mu.
Local seed potatoes are even exported to Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other places.
In the past, potatoes could not be sold when they were too many.
At present, the annual output of Xiji potato reaches more than 1.5 million tons. Where is the market?
According to Su Linfu, in order to ensure that the 1.5 million tons of potatoes have a market and a good price, Xiji County has started an article in the lower reaches of the potato industry chain in recent years.
The Xiji Potato Trading Market has become a distribution center for potatoes in the Northwest, with more than 1,000 large households engaged in potato sales and trafficking.
After the potatoes are on the market, more than 200 potato brokers in the market will ship these potatoes to coastal areas such as Zhejiang and Guangdong.
The potato output in Xiji County is stable, with an annual planting area of more than 800,000 mu, accounting for half of the potato planting area in the entire region.
In 2019, Xiji County mainly promoted "Green Potato No. 9", "Green Potato 168" and other varieties, planted 850,000 mu of potatoes, with an average yield of 1768.2 kg per mu, with an annual output of more than 1.53 million tons of potatoes, and a total potato industry output value of 1.503 billion yuan. Provide farmers with a per capita disposable income of 1,776 yuan, accounting for 34% of operating income.
In recent years, Xiji County has adhered to the four-industry development path of "seed potato breeding, fresh potato export, starch processing, and staple food development", and has initially formed a development model of the entire industry chain with deep integration of primary, secondary and tertiary industries.
With the guarantee of high-quality seed potatoes, the yield per mu of potatoes has continued to increase. With the promotion of the well-known Chinese trademark "Xiji Potato", the market awareness and price of Xiji potatoes have also been continuously improved, which greatly stimulated The enthusiasm of farmers to grow potatoes.
Little Potato is taking Xiji County to turn over.
The incidence of poverty in Xihaigu dropped from 34% in 2014 to 0.95% in 2019.
Nowadays, the Xiji people are walking along the road of poverty alleviation and prosperity accompanied by the "potato light".
(Finish)