Liangshan Potatoes

Liangshan Potatoes

Liangshan Potatoes is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Liangshan Potatoes is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics Survey Team, in 2009, Sichuan ranked fourth in the country in terms of potato planting area and first in total output.

　　As a pioneer in the development of the potato industry in our province, Liangshan potatoes have become a flagship: the largest standardized production base of green food raw material potatoes in China has been established here, and it has also become the largest potato-producing area in the province. The four key indicators—planting area, yield, commercial volume, and economic benefits—all rank first in the province.

　　Analyzing the development path of the potato industry, we see a distinctive path of high-efficiency agriculture that transforms resource advantages into economic, industrial, and farmers’ income advantages.

　　Potatoes are a traditional and advantageous crop in Liangshan, with over 400 years of planting history. The Liangshan Prefecture possesses unique natural resources for potato cultivation. Its distinctive layered climate conditions allow potatoes to be planted all year round. The high-mountainous semi-hilly areas, valley basins, and flatland regions share ecological conditions extremely similar to those of the potato’s place of origin, along with a pollution-free environment, earning recognition as one of the best potato-growing regions in China.

　　1 Geographical Scope

　　Liangshan Prefecture is located in the northeastern part of the Hengduan Mountains in southwestern Sichuan, on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, between the Sichuan Basin and the central plateau of Yunnan Province. It lies between 100°15′–103°52′ east longitude and 26°03′–29°18′ north latitude. The region stretches 370 km from north to south and 360 km from east to west, covering a total area of 60,400 square kilometers, accounting for 12.5% of Sichuan Province.

　　The protected area for Liangshan potatoes spans 17 counties and cities in Liangshan Prefecture, encompassing 610 townships, 3,743 administrative villages, with a protected area of 200,000 hectares. The current planting area is 120,000 hectares, demonstrating tremendous potential for industrial development.

　　2 Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic-Historical Factors

　　(1) Soil and Topography: Liangshan Prefecture is situated on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the northeastern part of the Hengduan Mountains in southwestern Sichuan. The region features complex and diverse landforms, predominantly layered terrain. Mountains dominate the landscape, accounting for about 80% of the total area, followed by plateaus. Hills, alluvial plains, wide valleys, and faulted basins make up around 10%. The main soil types in Liangshan are purple soil, red soil, yellow-brown soil, and brown soil, which together constitute 80% of the total soil area. These soils have good structure, deep and loose layers, excellent breathability, slightly acidic pH levels between 5.8–7.5, and relatively high nutrient content. Organic matter ranges from 1–4%, with abundant alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen and available phosphorus. Alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen levels are 60–135 ppm, available phosphorus 5–25 ppm, and available potassium exceeds 50–170 ppm.

　　(2) Hydrology: Liangshan Prefecture enjoys abundant rainfall and a dense river network, with well-developed mountainous water systems. Except for the Anning River Valley, most rivers are mountain streams. There are over 160 rivers with drainage basins exceeding 100 square kilometers, and 13 major rivers—including the Yalong River—with basins larger than 1,000 square kilometers. The Anning River is the largest in Liangshan, stretching 326 km in total, with 222 km flowing through the prefecture, passing through Mianning, Xichang, and Dechang counties/cities. It has 18 tributaries, including major ones such as the Sunshui River, Jinchuan River, and Hequ River.

　　(3) Climate: Liangshan Prefecture exhibits distinct layered climate characteristics, with abundant light, heat, and water resources. Rainfall and heat coincide seasonally, providing relatively favorable agricultural climatic conditions. Annual sunshine duration ranges from 1,227 to 2,603 hours. The average annual temperature is 10.1–19°C, with accumulated temperatures above 10°C ranging from 4,500–5,760°C. The frost-free period lasts 202.9–346 days. Annual precipitation ranges from 776 mm to 1,176 mm. The climate is mild year-round, without extreme summer heat or winter cold, featuring ample sunlight, plentiful rainfall, and large diurnal temperature variations. Due to its unique layered climate, potato planting can occur year-round across different areas, mainly in winter, spring, and autumn seasons. Regions at elevations of 1,800–2,600 meters in Liangshan are the most suitable for growing main-season potatoes.

　　(4) Humanistic-Historical Background: Liangshan Prefecture is home to 14 long-established ethnic groups, including Yi, Han, Tibetan, Hui, Miao, Mongolian, and Lisu, with a total population of approximately 4.48 million. Of these, about 3.88 million are farmers, and the Yi ethnic group accounts for over 2.08 million people, or 46.5% of the total, making it the largest Yi-inhabited area in China. Potato cultivation in Liangshan has a history of around 400 years, enjoying widespread public support. Potatoes are the result of careful selection by local farmers and natural adaptation. Over years of potato farming, laborers have accumulated extensive knowledge and experience in cultivation and breeding. Potatoes are an indispensable crop for production, daily life, and economic development among the farming communities in Liangshan’s high-mountainous semi-hilly areas. For the Yi people, potatoes are essential for daily life, as well as for weddings, funerals, marriages, and the development of alpine animal husbandry. Liangshan has a large-scale potato industry and is a key production area in Sichuan. For example, in 2006, the planting area accounted for 14.33% of the province’s total, with total output making up 20% of the provincial figure. The average yield per mu was 1,460 kg, 410 kg higher than the provincial average (a 39.05% increase), and 471 kg higher than the national average (a 47.62% increase). In July 2006, a Sichuan potato industry production field meeting was held in Zhaojue and Butuo counties in Liangshan, where the demonstration effects of two 10,000-mu potato production sites in these counties were highly commended. In November 2008, another Sichuan potato industry work conference took place in Liangshan. At the event, the Liangshan Prefecture government delivered a presentation, and the standardized production and management practices of the Liangshan Potato Breeding Center, the Saladi Slope Township Potato Cooperative in Zhaojue County, the virus-free potato seedling net houses under the Zhaojue County Agriculture Bureau, and the Howji Group’s Zhaojue Potato Starch Processing Factory left a deep impression on leaders and attendees, once again highlighting the achievements of Liangshan’s potato industry. In 2008, the standardized production area for main-season potatoes in the prefecture reached 76,000 hectares, accounting for over 70% of the total main-season potato area. The fresh potato yield per mu rose from 1,418 kg in 2004 to 1,577 kg in 2008, an increase of 159 kg per mu. Currently, Liangshan is developing into the largest seed potato and commercial potato production base in Southwest China, as well as the largest standardized green food potato production base in China (100,000 hectares).

　　Liangshan Prefecture has many major potato-producing counties. Among its 17 counties and cities, eight—Yanyuan, Butuo, Zhaojue, Yuexi, Xide, Jinyang, Meigu, and Huidong—have planting areas exceeding 100,000 mu, creating foundational conditions for the comprehensive development and utilization of potato resources. After more than 30 years of variety selection, representative series such as Liangshu (Liangshan Potato) varieties (Liangshu 14, Liangshu 17, Liangshu 97, Liangshu 8, Chuanliangshu 1, etc.) have been developed and widely planted locally. These varieties are popular in the market and sold across the country, including to cities such as Chengdu, Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Beijing, and Shanghai. In 2008, sales exceeded 1.25 million tons, with some products exported to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.