Xinye Cabbage

Xinye Cabbage

Xinye cabbage is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Xinye cabbage is a specialty of Xinye County in Nanyang City, Henan Province. Cabbage has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the best vegetables and is also hailed as a natural "stomach vegetable." Xinye cabbage is a nationally protected geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Xinye boasts a superior geographical location. It is located in the southwest of Henan Province, at the center of the Nanyang Basin, within the Han River basin, bordering Xiangfan City in Hubei Province. It lies between 112º14'44"—112º35'42" east longitude and 32º19'30"—32º49'08" north latitude. The region falls within the northern subtropical zone and features distinct continental monsoon climate characteristics — warm and humid, with four clearly defined seasons, and abundant light, heat, and water resources. The annual average total sunshine duration is 1815.8 hours, the mean annual temperature is 15.1°C; the average annual precipitation is 721.0 mm, and the average annual relative humidity is 75%. The unique geographical environment, along with favorable light, heat, and water resources, contribute to the high quality of Xinye cabbage — its leafy heads are dry, fresh, glossy, tightly and evenly formed without cracking or bolting, free from mechanical damage, clean surface, no pests or diseases, no withered or rotten leaves, and accompanied by 3–4 outer green leaves. The variety is rich, including cauliflower, heading cabbage (also known as cabbage, Western cabbage, or round cabbage), Chinese kale, broccoli, and kohlrabi.

　　Xinye has been designated by the Ministry of Agriculture as a National Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zone and a National Advanced County in Grain Production. The county has a perennial vegetable planting area of 440,000 mu, including 206,000 mu of pollution-free vegetables. An 80,000-mu vegetable industry science and technology park has been planned and constructed, with 18 vegetable varieties certified as pollution-free agricultural products by the Ministry of Agriculture. In recent years, the county has vigorously developed vegetable deep-processing techniques, nurturing one national-level leading agricultural industrialization enterprise and three provincial-level ones. There are 155 farmers' professional cooperatives, involving 10,146 member households. Three cooperatives — Wannong Vegetables, Lüjinyuan Vegetables, and Jinlv Forestry and Fruit — have been designated as national model cooperatives. "Wannong" brand vegetables are popular both domestically and internationally.

　　In 2014, the "Xinye Cabbage" application submitted by the Xinye County Vegetable Professional Technology Association passed the review of the Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and expert evaluation, and was granted national geographical indication registration and protection.

　　Geographical Scope

　　The geographical protection scope of Xinye cabbage is within Xinye County, Henan Province. The geographical coordinates are 32°5'–32°6' north latitude and 112°15'–112°35' east longitude, spanning 22 km from east to west and 26 km from north to south, with flat terrain. The production areas of Xinye cabbage are distributed across nine townships: Chengjiao Township, Wuxing Town, Shanggang Town, Wangzhuang Town, Xindianpu Town, Qiangao Temple Township, Lithe Town, Hanhua Subdistrict, and Hancheng Subdistrict. The total production area covers 3,860 hectares, with an annual output of 289,500 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: Xinye cabbage is spherical in shape, with an outer appearance of grass green, firm to the touch, glossy leaves, crisp and refreshing when eaten raw, and smooth, slightly sweet, and crisp when cooked, with no astringency. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: Xinye cabbage is highly nutritious. In recent years, extensive quality testing of the cabbage has shown that many of its indicators surpass those of similar products, making it one of the best cabbage-producing regions in China. Testing by the Agricultural Product Quality Supervision and Testing Center (Zhengzhou) of the Ministry of Agriculture revealed that the vitamin C content is 53.7 mg/100g–58.8 mg/100g, protein content is 1.04%–1.32%, and soluble total sugar content is 3.81%–4.00%. 3. Safety Requirements: Xinye cabbage strictly adheres to the standards of the "Pollution-Free Food Heading Cabbage Production Technical Regulations" (NY/T5009-2001). The use of fertilizers, pesticides, and other agricultural inputs that are not legally registered or explicitly banned by the state is prohibited. The region actively promotes standardized production to effectively ensure the quality and safety of Xinye cabbage.