Jiaoxi Potatoes

Jiaoxi Potatoes

Jiaoxi Potatoes are a product certified with a Geographical Indication for Agricultural Products.

　　Jiaoxi Town is situated in the western suburbs of Jiaozhou City and is recognized as a nationally designated "Environmentally Beautiful Small Town." It is hailed as the "No. 1 Potato Town in Shandong Province." The town covers an administrative area of 112 square kilometers, governs 73 administrative villages, and has a population of 62,000. Major transportation routes such as the Jiaoji Railway (Qingdao–Jinan), the Jiaxin Railway (Jiaozhou–Xinyi), the Tongsan Expressway (Tongjiang City, Heilongjiang Province–Sanya City, Hainan Province), and provincial highways including Jiaowang Road, Jiagao Road, and Zhuzhu Road all run through Jiaoxi Town. The town is located 55 kilometers from Qingdao Port, 43 kilometers from Huangdao Qianwan Port, and 43 kilometers from Qingdao Liuting International Airport, placing it within Qingdao’s one-hour economic circle.

　　The town is traversed by the Mohe River, which provides abundant water resources, and the land is fertile. Historically, the local community has had a strong foundation and tradition in vegetable cultivation, making it one of Qingdao’s renowned vegetable production bases. The town has been awarded several honors, including Model Town for Qingdao’s “One Town, One Industry” initiative, Advanced Unit in Qingdao’s Agricultural Work, “Five-Good” Town Party Committee in Qingdao, and was ranked among Qingdao’s Top 20 Economic Townships for two consecutive years. In 2010 (figures are the same for the following year), the town achieved a gross domestic product of 3.42 billion yuan, fiscal revenue of 53.65 million yuan, and an average per capita rural income of 11,234 yuan.

　　I. Development History

　　In the 1980s, Jiaoxi Town began sporadic potato cultivation on less than 200 acres, with average yields of about 500–600 jin (250–300 kg) per mu. By the late 1990s, potato farming saw significant expansion, with increased planting areas and a focus on local varieties such as yellow-skinned and white-skinned potatoes. However, due to issues like small size, rough skin, and low yield, some farmers started traveling to other regions, such as Inner Mongolia and Northeast China, to study better potato varieties. Since the 1970s and 1980s, under the guidance of the city’s agricultural bureau, efforts have been made to introduce and promote virus-free seed potatoes, with the Kexin variety as the main cultivar. Over decades and through the work of several generations, the focus shifted primarily to the Dutch Seven and Dutch Fifteen varieties. By 2008, the total potato-growing area in the town reached 100,000 mu. The scale of the potato industry expanded dramatically, with a qualitative leap in both quality level and economic returns. Currently, 46 out of the town’s 73 villages (63% of the total) are involved in potato production, directly employing 38,000 people. Including those engaged in supporting sectors—such as agrochemical supply, seed breeding, packaging, sales, warehousing, and transport—the total number of workers in the industry reaches 45,000. The town maintains a stable potato planting area of around 100,000 mu annually.

　　II. Production Characteristics of Jiaoxi Town’s Potatoes

　　1. Establishing Brand Awareness and Strengthening Marketing

　　A brand is an intangible asset. Jiaoxi potatoes enjoy a certain level of recognition both domestically and internationally, especially spring potatoes that hold strong competitive advantages nationwide. Building on the registration of trademarks such as “Gongxin” and “Moheli,” the town has worked to enhance its brand image. In particular, the successful application for the Geographical Indication status of “Jiaoxi Potatoes” has laid the foundation for pursuing more prestigious labels, expanding influence, and increasing visibility. Moving forward, Jiaoxi will align with domestic and international market demands and potential, strengthen marketing strategies, and produce products that meet market needs to satisfy diverse regional and customer requirements.

　　2. Standardizing the Sales Market

　　Currently, the potato sales market lacks comprehensive management, with no unified grading or quality standards yet established, nor standardized product packaging. The next step will involve organizing efforts to develop local unified quality standards and packaging to regulate the market and enhance the competitiveness and market share of Jiaoxi potatoes.

　　3. Accelerating the Development of Preservation and Processing Enterprises

　　At present, the development of agricultural product processing and preservation industries remains relatively slow. Jiaoxi plans to adopt advanced technologies from both domestic and international sources, introducing and establishing a number of large-scale processing and preservation enterprises. This will increase the added value of Jiaoxi potatoes and strive to establish the town as a distribution hub for potatoes in Shandong Province.

　　4. Promoting Standardized Production

　　Pollution-free vegetables have become a basic requirement for entering the agricultural product market. As part of future efforts, Jiaoxi will prioritize the establishment of pollution-free vegetable production bases as a key component of its agricultural work. This year, the town plans to create 60,000 mu of pollution-free potato production bases, along with additional pollution-free bases for crops such as scallions, Chinese cabbage, and celery. The goal is to achieve full standardization of agricultural production across the town, thereby promoting healthy and orderly agricultural development. The era of green consumption, focused on health and environmental protection, has arrived. Therefore, Jiaoxi will strengthen vocational ethics education among potato farmers, strictly adhere to pollution-free and green food standards, and ensure standardization in production environments, fertilization, and pest control, continuously improving product quality.

　　Jiaoxi Potatoes

　　Geographic Scope

　　The production area of Jiaoxi Potatoes is located in the western part of Jiaozhou City, covering the entire territory of Jiaoxi Town. It extends from Fujia Village in the north to Yuanjiahui Village in the south, from Songgezhuang Village in the west to Yinjiadian Village in the east, encompassing 73 administrative villages including Songgezhuang, Yuangezhuang, Fujia Village, and Yuanjiahui. The geographical coordinates are between 119°83′00″–119°95′00″ east longitude and 36°22′00″–36°31′00″ north latitude. Within the protected area designated for the Geographical Indication of Agricultural Products, the potato planting area spans 100,000 mu, with an annual yield of 200,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　The unique microclimate and superior geographical conditions of the Jiaoxi potato production area result in distinctive potato qualities. These potatoes are characterized by their oval shape, shallow and sparse eyes, smooth surface, yellow skin and flesh, and a crisp, smooth texture ideal for fresh consumption or cooking. Nutritional content includes Vitamin C ≥ 0.5 mg/100g; total sugar ≥ 30%; protein ≥ 0.6%; starch ≥ 0.5%; and dry matter ≥ 8.5%.