Huyang Tomatoes

Huyang Tomatoes

Huyang Tomatoes are a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Huyang Tomatoes are a specialty of Huyang Town, Fei County, Linyi City, Shandong Province. The greenhouse-grown tomatoes from Huyang Town are renowned nationwide for their attractive color, sweet and sandy texture, and are sold to more than ten provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China. Huyang Tomatoes are a nationally protected geographical indication agricultural product.

　　The cultivation of Huyang Tomatoes began in the 1940s, initially taking root in the Qinjiatun area. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the industry gradually moved toward scaled and industrialized development. In 1982, small plastic film arch sheds were first used, followed by large arch sheds in 1983, earth-heated greenhouse overwintering cultivation in 1992, and efficient solar greenhouses for tomato production starting in 1996. The "Huyang Tomatoes" brand began gaining recognition in 2010. Successive town party committees and governments in Huyang have prioritized the tomato industry as a key measure for agricultural restructuring and farmers’ prosperity. They have focused on achieving higher yields through scale, better quality through technology, greater influence through branding, and improved benefits through market expansion. By implementing these four strategies simultaneously, they have created a powerful economic driving force in modern greenhouse tomato agriculture. The town first emphasized "strengthening infrastructure" to elevate industrial development. Solid infrastructure is the foundation of branded agriculture. Huyang Town has increased investment in agricultural infrastructure. The town’s party committee and government planned and constructed core agricultural infrastructure in the main tomato-producing areas, with a total investment of 20 million yuan. Guided by an integrated approach of "agricultural tourism, technology promotion, and leisure picking," they developed infrastructure such as roads, bridges, canals, and lakes within the tomato industrial park. Through renovation, planning, and construction, the Huyang tomato production base now meets the standards of an agricultural standardized base — capable of irrigation during drought, drainage during floods, with square fields, connected canals, and accessible roads — providing a robust hardware foundation for the tomato industry. Additionally, the town has leveraged "technology-driven growth" to improve industrial quality. Based on the philosophy of "developing modern greenhouse tomato agriculture to increase farmers’ income," the focus has been on training professional farmers and cultivating a group of homegrown tomato agriculture experts. Investments have been made to establish the Huyang Town Agricultural Technology Service Center and a Tomato Planting Professional Association, responsible for introducing and promoting new technologies and varieties. Today, Huyang Town is the largest greenhouse tomato planting base in southern Shandong. The tomato planting area spans 15,000 mu, with 22 specialized planting villages including Qinjiatun and Nantangou, 36 specialized planting cooperatives, and over 6,000 specialized planting households. The town grows more than 160 tomato varieties, with an annual yield of up to 260 million kilograms and a total output value of around 1.2 billion yuan. This generates an average income increase of over 6,000 yuan per person. Huyang Tomatoes are sold in domestic and international markets including Beijing, Handan, Dalian, Harbin, Suzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Russia, enjoying a high reputation for quality in the domestic market. Currently, Huyang Tomatoes hold eight green food trademarks. In 2013, they received China’s National Geographical Indication Agricultural Product certification, were ranked among the top 50 national internet-famous geographical indication products (vegetables) in 2015, and were valued at 247 million yuan in the 2015 China Regional Public Brand Value Assessment for Agricultural Products.

　　Huyang Town is located 12 kilometers northeast of Fei County, on a plain, bordered by Xuezhuang Town to the north, Fangcheng Town and Xinqiao Town to the east, and facing Tan Yi Town, Fei Cheng Town, and Chengbei Township across the Beng River and Jun River to the south and southwest. Huyang Town focuses on improving agricultural conditions, increasing farmers’ income, and achieving economies of scale as key aspects of agricultural restructuring. It emphasizes greenhouse tomato production, introduces straw bioreactor planting technology, and builds pollution-free greenhouse tomato production bases.

　　The greenhouse tomatoes of Huyang Town are famous nationwide. Currently, the town’s tomato planting area has reached 12,000 mu, with a yield of 350 million jin. Just last year, the number of planting households increased by 1,200 and the area under tomato greenhouses grew by 3,000 mu. Thanks to their bright color, sweet and sandy taste, Huyang Tomatoes are sold across more than ten provinces and municipalities, from Beijing to Guangzhou, from Shanghai to Chongqing, and can be found in major supermarkets and on ordinary dining tables. To build brand value, Huyang Town has registered two pollution-free tomato trademarks — "Lumengjishan" and "Huyang Xishi" — and built two major tomato wholesale markets, achieving an integrated "seed-to-sale" supply chain for fruits and vegetables.

　　In 2013, the "Huyang Tomatoes" application submitted by the Jinyang Tomato Planting Professional Cooperative of Huyang Town, Fei County, passed the review of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Center and expert evaluation, and was granted national geographical indication registration protection.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Fei County is located in the southeastern part of Shandong Province and has a long history of tomato cultivation, with a large planting area. Centered around Huyang Town, tomato cultivation has now expanded to six towns across the county. The protected geographical indication area for "Huyang Tomatoes" is within Fei County, Shandong Province, extending east to Yanlin Village in Xuezhuang Town, west to Wangjiazhuang Village in Fei Cheng Town, north to Dazhongkou Village in Shangye Town, and south to Beiyin Village in Huyang Town. The geographical coordinates are between 35°10′–35°27′ north latitude and 117°30′–118°09′ east longitude, with altitudes ranging from 110 to 187.4 meters. The protected planting area spans 2,000 hectares, with a total production area of 30,000 mu and an annual output of 300,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Features: Huyang Tomatoes have a round and regular shape, uniform size, and an average single fruit weight of about 250g, with variation not exceeding 5% of the average weight. The color is bright pinkish-red, with a sweet and tangy flavor. When eaten raw, they offer a refreshing, sandy texture and firmness. 4.2 Internal Quality Indicators: Huyang Tomatoes contain 14–15 mg/100g of vitamin C, soluble solids ≥6.0%, total acid ≤1.0%, and lycopene 8.0–9.0 mg/100g. 4.3 Safety Requirements: "Huyang Tomatoes" must meet the hygiene standards for "Green Food Tomatoes" set by the Ministry of Agriculture (see table below). Those falling under the circumstances outlined in Article 33 of the Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law shall not be sold on the market.