Hekou Pueraria

Hekou Pueraria

Hekou Pueraria is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Hekou Pueraria is a specialty of Hekou Town, Gaoyao City, Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province. It is a unique traditional agricultural product of Gaoyao, originating in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties from locally wild kudzu. Among them, Xian Cave Pueraria is the most renowned.

　　Hekou Pueraria is a unique traditional agricultural product of Gaoyao, originating in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties from locally wild kudzu. Among them, Xian Cave Pueraria is the most renowned.

　　In 2009, Xian Cave Village established the Xian Cave Yiqun Pueraria Professional Cooperative, marking a "glorious transformation" for Xian Cave Pueraria. The cooperative adopted a production model of "cooperation + farmers + standards + base," using the base as a demonstration to provide farmers with seedlings, agricultural materials, technical support, and handle product sales, thereby ensuring farmers' benefits. The cooperative registered the "Hekan Ge" brand trademark and obtained non-polluting product certification from the National Ministry of Agriculture and non-polluting origin certification from the Provincial Department of Agriculture. Reporters learned that through standardized management, the introduction of superior Pueraria varieties, advanced storage techniques, and enhanced technical guidance and training, the yield per mu increased from the original 5,000 jin to the current 6,000 jin — an increase of 20%, with average household income rising by over 4,000 yuan. This formed a dominant one-village-one-product industry.

　　After several years of development, the Xian Cave Yiqun Pueraria Professional Cooperative not only attracted active participation from farmers in Xian Cave Village but also encouraged surrounding villages to grow non-polluting Pueraria. Currently, the cooperative has grown to 292 members, accounting for more than 51% of Xian Cave Village’s farming households. The village’s Pueraria planting area has reached 1,600 mu, extending influence to over 4,000 mu of surrounding regions. The cooperative has established comprehensive standardized management systems and agricultural product safety frameworks, setting standards for seedling supply, cultivation management, harvesting, processing, storage, and transportation to ensure products meet export standards. The "Hekan Ge" brand has gradually gained recognition. The Xian Cave Village Pueraria base has also been designated by the Zhaoqing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau as a Hong Kong vegetable supply base. Xian Cave Pueraria has become one of the officially designated Hong Kong-bound fruits and vegetables purchased by the Hong Kong government, with 60% of the products exported to Hong Kong, Macau, and other areas by Dongguan Runfeng International Vegetable Co., Ltd.

　　Hekou Pueraria

　　The current administrative region of Hekou Town, Gaoyao City, Guangdong Province

　　“Letter from the People's Government of Gaoyao City Regarding the Request to Designate the Protected Geographic Indication Product Range for Hekou Pueraria,” Gao Fu Han [2013] No. 67

　　Guangdong Provincial Local Standard:

　　“Hekou Pueraria” (Draft)

　　“Hekou Pueraria Production Technical Regulations” (Draft)