Ningdu Yellow Chicken

Ningdu Yellow Chicken

The Ningdu Yellow Chicken is a geographical indication certification trademark.

The Ningdu Yellow Chicken is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　The "Ningdu Yellow Chicken" was originally called the "Ningdu Three-Yellow Chicken." It is characterized by its "three yellows" (yellow feathers, yellow shanks, and yellow beak) and "five reds" (red comb, red wattles, red face, red earlobes, and red eye rings). Originally bred in southern townships of Ningdu County, Jiangxi Province, such as Huangshi and Duifang, it has a breeding history of over 1,500 years. The earliest local chronicle published in Ningdu County — *Records of Local Products: Feathered Species in Ningdu Directly Ruled Prefecture* — states: "Xu Xuan (a man from Kuaiji in the Song Dynasty who served in the Southern Tang and rose to the position of Minister of Personnel) said: 'Those produced in the prefectural seat and in Rui (jin) and Shi (cheng) are not colored beyond red, white, yellow, and black, and weigh no more than four or five jin, with hens being even smaller... There are quite a few villagers who raise chickens for profit.' " The Ningdu Yellow Chicken is a premium-quality yellow-feathered broiler chicken unique to China. In 2002, it obtained a "New Poultry Variety Certificate," in 2008 received pollution-free agricultural product certification, and in 2009 was named a Famous Trademark of Jiangxi Province. In 2010, it was awarded a National Geographical Indication Agricultural Product Certificate, and in 2012, it became a Well-Known Trademark of China.

　　Unique Qualities

　　As a renowned high-quality native chicken in China, it is raised entirely through pollution-free forest foraging. With features such as the "three yellows" (beak, feathers, and shanks) and the "five reds" (comb, wattles, face, eye rings, and earlobes), the breed is small in size and offers tender and delicious meat. Its protein content, total amino acids, and the number of muscle fibers per unit area all surpass those of many other domestic broiler breeds.

　　Cultural Background

　　The main production area of the Ningdu Yellow Chicken is Ningdu and surrounding townships in Jiangxi. In the past, it was raised in scattered household operations without forming a significant scale. Later, the Ningdu County Government strongly supported the yellow chicken industry, making it a key focus of agricultural development. Now, the annual output has reached 10 million chickens, with an output value exceeding 400 million yuan, benefiting over 20,000 farmers. The Ningdu Yellow Chicken is sold both domestically and abroad. When cooked together with Ningdu’s fortified village water wine, it becomes a highly nutritious and nourishing delicacy.

　　Geographical Scope

　　The Ningdu Yellow Chicken is produced in Ningdu County, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, located in the southeast of Jiangxi and the north of Ganzhou. The production area lies between 115°40'20" to 116°17'15" east longitude and 26°05'18" to 27°08'13" north latitude, with the highest elevation at 1,454.9 meters and the lowest at 154 meters. Originally bred in the hilly and mountainous areas of southern townships such as Huangshi and Duifang within the county, the breed now covers a total production area of 3,130.36 square kilometers across the entire county. The production region includes 19 administrative townships: Meijiang Town, Changsheng Town, Duifang Township, Huangshi Town, Tiantou Township, Lai Village Town, Qingtang Town, Zhuzuo Township, Gucun Town, Gouhou Township, Tianbu Township, Huitong Township, Zhan Tian Township, Shishang Town, Anfu Township, Huangpi Town, Xiaobu Town, Diaofeng Township, and Luokou Town. In 2008, the output of yellow chickens reached 31.3 million, with an output value of 460 million yuan. The production scale was 34.5 million chickens, yielding 51,750 tons annually.