Meilong Lotus Root

Meilong Lotus Root

　　HaiFeng Meilong lotus root is a specialty of Meilong Town, HaiFeng County, Shanwei City, Guangdong Province. Known for being plump, tender, sweet, crisp, and leaving no residue after chewing, Meilong lotus root has gained fame both locally and afar. Merchants from near and far rush to purchase it, and restaurants turn it into delicious dishes. Since the reform and opening up, it has become a hot commodity in nearby fruit and vegetable markets. It is now exported as far as Shantou, Huizhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and even Hong Kong.

　　Meilong is a major agricultural town in HaiFeng County. Its traditional specialties mainly include lotus root, arrowhead, snow peas, bananas, and others. Among them, lotus root is the most renowned. "Meilong lotus root" is grown in the Meilong Plain. With superior quality and high recognition, it is especially popular in Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and the Pearl River Delta region.

　　Meilong lotus root is a traditionally cultivated vegetable in Meilong. Due to its outstanding quality, it is highly favored by food lovers. As the saying goes, "If you want to eat lotus root, go to Meilong." And as times have changed, a new saying has emerged: "If you want to prosper, grow lotus root." Meilong currently has over 10,000 acres of lotus root cultivation, with an annual output value of nearly 100 million yuan. Lotus root farming has become one of the pillar industries of local agriculture. Moreover, the business model for lotus root has undergone tremendous changes. The old way of individual farming has been replaced by a "company + base + farmer" model, greatly improving economic efficiency.

　　Currently, most of the lotus root planted in the town is the new variety Guangxi Large-Meat Lotus Root. This type of lotus root is large in size, crispy in texture, high in starch content, and resistant to diseases. Its single-season yield can reach over 1,000 catties per mu, with an output value of about 4,000 yuan per mu. It is more profitable than planting traditional floury lotus root, attracting dealers from our city as well as Shenzhen and Guangzhou to purchase directly from the fields.